The German government has taken tough action against a tanker from the shadow fleet that Russia continues to use to sell oil around the world despite the current sanctions. Last Friday, customs arrested the Panamanian-flagged tanker Eventin, which had been anchored off the coast of Rügen since mid-January.
This was reported by Der Spiegel.
The confiscation order from the General Customs Office means that both the tanker and about 100,000 tons of crude oil worth 40 million euros will now become the property of Germany.
According to the newspaper’s own information, the tanker was heading from the Russian port of Ust-Luga across the Baltic Sea to Egypt. Eventin initially drifted north of Rügen in mid-January, unable to maneuver. Due to the imminent danger of oil leakage, the tanker was towed to the waters off Sassnitz, where it was under round-the-clock surveillance by the coast guard and federal police. Since late February, the vessel has been on the EU list as part of Russia’s shadow fleet.
With an armada of tankers, Moscow continues to sell billions of dollars worth of oil around the world, mostly on old ships that do not fly the Russian flag. After the Eventin was added to the list, the German government decided to arrest the vessel.
“According to the Chancellery and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this unusually harsh action is intended to send a signal to Russia that Germany will not stand by and watch the transit of Russian oil through the Baltic Sea,” the publication says.
The authorities are currently deciding how to safely pump oil from the tanker and the further fate of the vessel. The government of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern would like to get rid of the tanker as soon as possible, as it is concerned about its negative impact on the environment and tourism.