BERLIN — An oil tanker, suspected of being part of Russia’s strategy to bypass international sanctions, lost control and required assistance from a German tugboat on Friday. This incident has raised concerns regarding security and tourism in the Baltic Sea, as highlighted by Germany’s foreign minister.
The tanker, registered under the Panamanian flag, named Eventin, was reportedly transporting 99,000 tons of oil from Russia to Egypt when it drifted off course for several hours north of Rügen, a German island. The tugboat named Bremen Fighter was dispatched to safely guide the vessel to a port. Fortunately, there was no immediate threat posed to the environment according to reports from a local news agency.
Greenpeace has identified the Eventin as part of a so-called Russian “shadow fleet,” which consists of hundreds of old tankers that are attempting to circumvent sanctions imposed following Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine. These vessels are crucial for maintaining a flow of oil revenue to the Russian government despite heavy restrictions.
Annalena Baerbock, the German Foreign Minister, emphasized that this incident illustrates how Russia poses a risk to European security not only through military aggression in Ukraine but also via tactics such as sabotage, misinformation, and now, aging oil tankers.
She expressed serious concerns about how Russia is flouting sanctions by utilizing a fleet of deteriorating ships. Furthermore, she pointed out that these actions could have negative implications for tourism in the Baltic Sea, highlighting the broader impact of Russia’s maneuvers beyond just political and economic ramifications.
