Germany battles to secure ‘Russian shadow fleet’ oil tanker adrift off northern coast
Germany battles to secure ‘Russian shadow fleet’ oil tanker adrift off northern coast
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The Eventin was sailing from Russia to Egypt with 100,000 tonnes of oil when its engine failed and it lost ability to manoeuvre. Germany is battling to secure a heavily loaded tanker stranded off its northern coast, which it says is part of Russia’s sanctions-busting “shadow fleet”.
The 274-metre-long Eventin was sailing from Russia to Egypt with almost 100,000 tonnes of oil on board when its engine failed and it lost the ability to manoeuvre overnight Thursday to Friday, according to Germany’s central command for maritime emergencies.
As the vessel drifted in coastal waters Friday, the foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, criticised Russia’s use of “dilapidated oil tankers” to avoid sanctions on its oil exports, calling it a threat to European security. Three tugs have linked up with the Eventin and are attempting to steer it north-east, away from the coast and towards a safer area where there is “more sea space”, the command said.
On Saturday morning it said the Eventin and the accompanying tugs were “still north of [the island of] Ruegen and moving eastwards”. The whole convoy was “travelling slowly” at a rate of about 1-2 knots, or 2.5 km/h, to safer waters north-east of Ruegen’s Cape Arkona, the command said.
It added that there were winds of 6 to 7 on the Beaufort scale in the area and that “stormy gusts” were expected to continue, while waves were about 2.5 metres (8ft) high. “Once the position has been reached the convoy will wait out the strong winds,” the statement said.
