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Three ships secure the damaged Russian shadow tanker off Rügen

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Three ships secure the damaged Russian shadow tanker off Rügen

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An oil tanker flying the Panama flag has found itself unable to maneuver off the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea. The ship loaded 99,000 tons of oil. It is part of Russia's shadow fleet. The weather conditions make the rescue difficult.

The situation on the maneuverable oil tanker “Eventin” in the Baltic Sea north of Rügen is made more difficult by a violent storm. Two additional ships were therefore sent there. The goal: The 274 meter long distressed vessel should be better held in position. The tugs “VB Luca” and “VB Bremen” arrived late in the evening and were connected to the tanker, said a spokesman for the accident command. Previously, the “Eventin” had only been held on a tow connection by the emergency tug “Bremen Fighter”.

In the evening there were already gusts of force seven and waves eight and a half meters high. The storm was expected to further intensify with gusts of force nine. “The accident command is continuously assessing the situation in order to be able to react to any changes if necessary,” it said.

The accident command also sent a four-person team of experts to the oil tanker in a federal police helicopter. The sailors, who specialize in making towing connections, were placed on board using a winch. “The emergency towing specialists are supposed to ensure that the load of the 274 meter long tanker is distributed safely and evenly among the tugs used,” explained a spokesman for the accident command. And: “The experts have flashlights and radios with them because the batteries on board are slowly running out.”

In addition, the accident command is moving the emergency tug “Baltic” from the western Baltic Sea near Darßer Ort. This ship can then intervene more quickly if further tug assistance is required by the “Eventin”. Whether, when and how the tanker with almost 100,000 tons of oil on board can be towed to a port is being examined and is currently not clear.

Part of the Shadow Fleet

The “Eventin” was traveling from Ust Luga in Russia to Port Said in Egypt when the plane broke down north of Rügen. A few hours later, German emergency ships managed to bring the tanker under control. The “Eventin” was built in 2006 and is on a list of ships from the so-called Russian shadow fleet by the environmental organization Greenpeace. Russian oil is exported with such ships. They are often outdated.

Ukraine's military intelligence designates the ship, which has flown under the flags of the Bahamas and Norway in the past, as a target of war and sanctions and as part of the Russian shadow fleet. It is not clear from the list whether and to what extent sanctions are actually imposed. The tanker is not yet on international sanctions lists and is currently only considered a potential candidate.

Public naval data indicates that the ship has recently frequently called at Indian ports. The country continues to purchase raw materials heavily from Russia. NATO is sending ships to the Baltic Sea to protect cables.

Baerbock criticizes Putin

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock accused Russia of accepting serious environmental damage with its shadow fleet and at the same time endangering tourism. “With the nefarious use of a fleet of rusty tankers, Putin not only circumvents the sanctions, but also accepts that tourism on the Baltic Sea will come to a standstill – be it in the Baltics, in Poland or here,” said the Green Party. Politician.

“Russia is endangering our European security not only with its war of aggression against Ukraine, which violates international law, but also with cut cables, moved border buoys, disinformation campaigns, GPS jammers and also with dilapidated oil tankers.” It is precisely this scenario that she and her colleagues from the Baltic Sea region have repeatedly warned about.

More tugs on the way

More tugboats are on their way to the “Eventin,” as the accident command announced in the evening. A sensor aircraft will also be in use. According to the accident command, there was no danger to the environment. The ship is tight, said a spokeswoman. There was therefore no danger for the crew of the tanker either. The 24 sailors remained on board. It is still unclear why the machine failed.

After the incident, there were also reactions from abroad. Lithuania's Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys spoke out in favor of more decisive action and further measures against Russia's shadow fleet. “The Baltic Sea is the most important gateway for Russia's oil exports and we have to stop that,” he said during a visit to the Estonian capital Tallinn. At the same time, the shadow fleet is an “instrument in hybrid activities” and poses a threat to the environment.

The Baltic Sea is one of the busiest seas in the world. More than 2,000 ships travel the inland sea every day, as the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) announced.

It was only in mid-October that there was an incident with a tanker off the coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The small oil tanker “Annika” burned on the Baltic Sea within sight of the coast. The ship was on its way from Rostock to Travemünde when fire broke out on board around 4.5 kilometers off the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm on October 11th. After initial fire-fighting work at sea, the 73 meter long and 12 meter wide ship was maneuvered by tugboats into the Rostock overseas port. No oil leaked during the incident.

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