A drifting Russian ship threatens German coasts with an oil spill, forcing support ships to attempt intervention. The Eventin, 274 m long and flying the Panamanian flag, transports 99,000 tonnes of oil to Port Said in Egypt.
It has been in distress since Thursday January 9 after an engine failure off the island of Rügen, in the Baltic Sea, while the area is swept by winds of force 6 to 7 and the sea experiences lows of 2, 5 meters.
To avoid a catastrophe, Germany dispatched three tugboats to the site which successfully established the connection. They are currently trying to move the ship away from the German coast. A German police helicopter also dropped off four experts by helicopter on the Eventin who brought radios and flashlights to the 24 crew members because the ship was without electricity.
200 ghost ships
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock immediately pointed the finger at the responsibility of Russia, accused of “endanger” European security “not only with its war of aggression against Ukraine but also with dilapidated oil tankers”. The ship, in fact, is part of the “Russian ghost fleet” which exports petroleum products by circumventing sanctions.
This fleet includes around 200 oil tankers and LNG carriers. These are old ships, often destined for scrapping, and which were bought by Russia at the start of the war in order to continue exporting while escaping all regulatory obligations. They often change their name and official owners. They are sailing without valid insurance. They are held through a cascade of companies and often turn off the transmitter that allows them to be located.
“These tankers represent 90% of crude exports and 36% of petroleum product shipments” of Russia, according to Kiev School of Economics who closely observes their activity.
The island of Rügen is a particularly popular place for tourists who appreciate its natural and fragile ecosystem, which has been preserved to this day. Located in the former GDR, the island was part of Angela Merkel’s electoral district until her withdrawal from political life.
Russian tanker boarded by Finland
The Greenpeace association, which draws up a list of the most dangerous ships, included the Eventin there because of its “technical defects”. “Ships of the Russian Ghost Fleet threaten the coasts of the Baltic Sea every day”confirms Thilo Maack, marine biologist working for this organization.
A ship from this fleet, the Eagle S, was also implicated in the sabotage of an electrical cable linking Finland to Estonia last Christmas Eve. The ship was boarded by Finnish special forces.
The United States and the United Kingdom announced new sanctions against the Russian energy sector on Friday. They target in particular oil tankers and LNG tankers operating from Russia and forming part of this “ghost fleet”. The EU also sanctioned 80 ships from this fleet.
Related News :