A loaded oil tanker that lost its maneuverability in the Baltic Sea near the German island of Rügen was towed almost 25 kilometers eastward by three tugboats.
The towing operation proceeded very slowly at a speed of one to two knots (1.85-3.7 kilometers per hour), a spokesperson for the German Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (CCME) explained. The maneuver was expected to last about eight hours.
The stricken tanker Eventin, loaded with 99,000 tons of oil, had to be moved for safety reasons. There is some more free sea space in the south in case of an emergency, the CCME spokesperson said.
Strong winds from the north were forecast for Friday evening. Until now, the island of Rügen was located directly south of the stricken ship measuring 274 meters long and 48 meters wide.
The Eventin, built in 2006 and sailing under the Panamanian flag, was en route from the Russian port of Ust-Luga to Port Said, Egypt, according to the ship tracking platform Vesselfinder.
The ship is part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which is used to export oil despite heavy sanctions against the country, according to a list of Russia-linked ships compiled by the environmental group Greenpeace.
Ships in the ‘shadow fleet’ are often outdated and in poor condition.
According to CCME, the Eventin suffered an engine failure and drifted in the Baltic Sea before being made safe. The cause of the engine failure initially remained unclear.
A view of the unmaneuverable oil tanker “Eventin” off the coast of the island of Rügen. The oil tanker, flying the flag of Panama, drifted for several hours in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Rügen, unable to maneuver. German emergency services secured the ship in the afternoon. Stefan Sauer/dpa
