An oil tanker that lost power in the Baltic Sea near the German island of Rügen was being towed about 25 kilometers to the east by three tugs.
The towing operation was moving at a very slow speed of one to two knots (1.85-3.7 kilometers per hour), explained a spokesman for Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (CCME). The job was expected to take about eight hours.
The stricken ship Eventin, which was carrying 99,000 tons of oil, had to be moved for safety reasons. There is more sea space to the south in case of an emergency, said a CCME spokesperson.
Strong winds from the north were forecast for Friday night. Until now, the island of Rügen was directly south of the 274-meter-long and 48-meter-wide stricken ship.
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Ships in “shadow ships” are often outdated and in poor working order.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 secured, according to the CCME. The cause of the engine failure was not clear at first.
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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