A drifting oil tanker in the Baltic Sea is being brought to a secure position near the port city of Sassnitz.
The 274-metre-long tanker, Eventin, which sails under the Panamanian flag and is believed to be part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’, is being held 5 kilometres offshore by two tugboats.
The tanker will remain in this position until further instructions are determined, according to Germany’s Maritime Emergency Command Centre.
The ship’s management, headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, has been contacted and has arranged for tugboats to tow the vessel, though the exact timing remains uncertain. "The tugboats are expected to arrive on Monday," the command centre reported.
The Eventin reported an emergency on Friday, drifting at low speed and unable to manoeuvre in coastal waters north of the German island of Rügen, the command centre stated. The cause of the blackout remains unclear, but the nearly 20-year-old vessel was secured on Friday afternoon.
There is no environmental threat, according to the command centre. "The chosen position also offers protection from the northern wind,” they added.
The 24 crew members are still on board and have been without electricity, heating, and running water since the blackout. A doctor and nurse arrived on Sunday to check their health, and emergency power supplies have been delivered so they can use microwaves and kettles, charge their mobile phones, and turn on the heating.
The ship was carrying approximately 99,000 tonnes of fuel. The German government and environmental groups accuse the tanker of being part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’, which is allegedly used by Moscow to evade sanctions on Russian oil exports.
Greenpeace previously stated that the Eventin, en route to Egypt, is notorious for its "particularly hazardous" oil transportation and "technical deficiencies".
The environmental organisation lists it among the 192 most dangerous oil tankers. “The vessels of the Russian shadow fleet pose a daily threat to the coasts of the Baltic Sea,” said Greenpeace.
