Couple GR
Published
January 11 at 3:08 p.m.,
updated January 11 at 3:08 p.m.
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A heavily laden oil tanker has been adrift off the northern coast of Germany since Friday. The ship is accused of being part of the “Russian ghost fleet”, often dilapidated boats used by Moscow to export its oil despite sanctions.
Germany is working this Saturday, January 11, to secure an oil tanker in difficulty and avoid an oil spill in the Baltic Sea. The ship, 274 meters long, under the Panamanian flag, is accused of being part of the often dilapidated “Russian ghost fleet”, with which Moscow exports its oil despite sanctions from the international community.
Three German tugboats were dispatched to the scene and managed to establish a connection with the ship during the night from Friday to Saturday. They are trying to push the tanker away from the coast by pushing it towards the northeast, according to a press release published by the German naval authority.
99,000 tonnes of oil on board
The Eventin tanker carries 99,000 tonnes of oil on board. It is in a “distress” situation due to engine failure after a power outage that occurred during the night from Thursday to Friday, according to the German command center for maritime emergencies.
In its drift, the Eventin had approached 14 km from the tourist island of Rügen. The authorities would try to move it to the northeast of Cape Arkona, a safer area. If all goes smoothly, it would take the ship about eight hours to travel the approximately 25 km to the target area and be out of danger.
“Dilapidated oil tankers”
In a statement, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock accused Russia of “endangering” European security “not only with its war of aggression against Ukraine (…) but also with dilapidated oil tankers “.
According to Greenpeace, the Eventin, which was destined for the port of Saïd in Egypt, had already been spotted for “particularly dangerous” oil transport and for its “technical defects”.
It appears in the list of 192 “most dangerous oil tankers” in the world according to the NGO.
