A stricken tanker loaded with Russian oil that lost the ability to manoeuver in the Baltic Sea near the German island of Rügen will likely be towed towards Skagen at the northern tip of Denmark, German authorities said on Monday.
A commercial tugboat is currently securing the tanker, the Eventin, outside the Sassnitz harbour on Rügen. Another tug is set to reach the Eventin around midday, according to Germany’s Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration.
The ship, which is sailing under a Panamanian flag, is believed to be part of the so-called “shadow fleet” used by Russia to export oil despite strict Western sanctions. The ship had been en route from Russia to Egypt when it lost power.
The almost 20-year-old tanker, loaded with nearly 100,000 tons of oil, suffered an engine failure on Friday in the Baltic Sea north of Rügen.
Because all systems on board had failed, the ship drifted in the Baltic Sea for hours. Rescue teams finally managed to establish towing connections on Friday afternoon, despite difficult weather conditions that included waves up to four metres high.
This enabled the ship to be towed off the coast of Rügen’s Sassnitz.
The authority said that 24 crew members aboard the 274-metre-long tanker are being looked after and doing well, considering the circumstances. Heating, cooking and sanitary facilities aboard the ship were knocked out by the failure.
