A Russian tanker carrying a 100,000-ton oil cargo is being towed away from Germany – the storm could cause a disaster

Three tugboats moved the oil tanker Eventin, which had drifted off Germany in the Baltic Sea, for safety reasons, according to German media Welt.

The tanker was drifting uncontrollably in the Baltic Sea after a short circuit on the ship between Thursday and Friday night shut down the engines. Germany sent tugboats to the scene on Friday afternoon to hold the vessel in place. According to the environmental organization Greenpeace, the oil tanker belongs to the Russian shadow fleet.

Later, Germany moved the ship towards the east. Haveriekommando, the authority responsible for navigation in the Baltic Sea, says that there is now more free sea area on the south side of the ship in case something unforeseen happens.

A “team of experts” has been sent aboard the ship. It is not known when the ship would be towed ashore.

The work of the tugboats is hampered by a strong storm in the area. Already on Friday evening, the waves rose to a height of 2.5 meters, and since then the sailing conditions have only gotten more difficult.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Friday referred to Russia’s shadow navy by accusing Russia of using “decrepit oil tankers” to evade sanctions.

Sails under the flag of Panama

The oil tanker Event, which set off from Laukaansuu in Russia, drifted in the Baltic Sea near the coast of Germany, German media reported Bild- and Daily Mirror – magazines and news agency AP. The Panamanian-flagged ship was officially on its way from Russia to Port Said, Egypt, and its journey was interrupted on Friday due to engine problems.

Eventin drifted north of the island of Rügen, according to Bild. The German authorities sent a tugboat and a multipurpose vessel to help on the spot.

According to the German media, the cargo of the tanker is about 99,000 tons of oil, which it set off to transport on January 6th as an epiphany from Laukaansuu. However, according to the German authorities, the ship is watertight and does not pose a danger to the environment. The ship’s crew is also not in danger at the moment.

There is no information about the owner of the vessel

According to the media, the ship is known to be part of the Russian shadow fleet. Russia tries to circumvent sanctions imposed by Western countries by transporting the oil it sells with the help of a shadow fleet.

The ships belonging to the shadow fleet are often old and in poor condition. In addition, they are registered in countries outside the European Union and the G7 countries, and the ownership structure of the ships is often covered by complex arrangements.

The 19-year-old Eventin is a 248-meter-long and approximately 48-meter-wide tanker. It was commissioned in 2006 under the Norwegian flag under the name Storviken. In 2022, it was registered under the name Charvi in ​​Panama, and in June 2024 it received its current name.

According to Bild, there is no information about its current owners. While Charva, it belonged to a Dubai-based company founded in 2022. The company ceased operations last March, three months before the ship took on its current name.

Eventin has repeatedly turned off its tracking system, which is typical for vessels of the Russian shadow fleet. Although according to official information, its port of destination is in Egypt, it has made previous trips to India to the port of Visakhapatnam. India has not joined the sanctions against Russia, and the country is currently Russia’s largest oil customer.

“Eventin can be found in our list of ships of the Russian shadow fleet, which was published in the fall. The ship is too old for such trips,” a Greenpeace marine biologist Thilo Maack says Tagesspiel, referring to Eventin’s official destination in Egypt.

The storm makes it difficult

German authorities say that strong wind and sea conditions are making it difficult for the tugs and multi-purpose vessels headed for Eventin to operate. Waves of 2.5 meters high have been reported in the sea.

Two arrived at Eventin, German authorities announced late Friday evening. In addition to them, a special group will be transported to the ship by helicopter, Tagesspiel says.

The special team ensures that the ship’s load is evenly distributed among the tugs in use. The group also brings replacement radio equipment to the ship’s crew.