German rescue teams have managed to find tow lines from an oil tanker that has lost power in the Baltic Sea near the German island of Rügen, authorities said on Friday.
The stricken ship Eventin, which was carrying 99,000 tons of oil, is about to be towed to an undisclosed port by the emergency boat Bremen Fighter, according to Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (CCME).
The ship, which is 274 meters long and 48 meters wide, is still closed and does not pose an immediate danger to the environment or to the crew on board, a spokesman for the agency told dpa.
The Eventin, built in 2006 and sailing under the flag of Panama, was en route from the Russian port of Ust-Luga to Port Said in Egypt, according to the vessel tracking platform Vesselfinder.
The ship is part of Russia’s so-called “shadow ships” that are used to export oil despite tough sanctions on the country, according to a list of Russian-linked vessels compiled by environmental group Greenpeace.
Ships in “shadow ships” are often outdated and in poor working order.
The Eventin suffered engine failure and was drifting in the Baltic Sea before being rescued, according to the CCME, although the cause of the engine failure was not yet clear.
The CCME said conditions in the Baltic Sea near where Eventin was sailing included moderate winds, but the agency did not provide further details on weather and swell.
A ship from Germany’s Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration, Arkona, was also sent to escort the tanker in addition to the emergency tug Bremen Fighter.
A specially trained maritime response team was also assigned to board the tanker and protect the towing link.
After the incident, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock accused Russia of deliberately causing serious damage to the environment.
“With the careless use of many rusted ships, [Russian President Vladimir] “Putin not only avoids sanctions, but also accepts that tourism in the Baltic Sea will stop – be it in the Baltic States, Poland or our country,” said Baerbock.
“Russia is endangering our European security not only with its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, but also with severed cables, removed border buoys, disinformation campaigns, GPS jammers and, as we have seen, collapsing oil tanks,” it said. a Green Party politician. .
Reactions also came from abroad, with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys speaking in favor of decisive action and further measures against the Russian “shadow ship”.
“The Baltic Sea is the most important gateway for Russian oil exports and we must stop this,” he said during a visit to the Estonian capital Tallinn.
At the same time, “shadow ships” are “a tool in hybrid operations” and pose a threat to the environment, he said.
The Baltic Sea is one of the most traveled seas in the world. According to the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research in the German city of Warnemünde (IOW), more than 2,000 ships cross the sea every day.
A view of the derelict oil tanker “Eventin” off the coast of the island of Ruegen. An oil tanker, flying the flag of Panama, sailed for several hours in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Ruegen, could not navigate properly – the German emergency services saved the ship in the afternoon. Stefan Sauer/dpa
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