Germany claims a Russian “shady” oil tanker is stranded in the Baltic Sea

German authorities have said an oil tanker stranded in German waters belongs to Russia’s “shadow fleet”, which Berlin says is being used to evade sanctions.

The German Maritime Authority (CCME) said on Friday that the Panamanian-flagged vessel known as the Eventin had lost power and control, meaning tugboats had been deployed to secure the vessel.

German Foreign Minister Analena Berbock hit out at Moscow, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of “circumventing” sanctions and threatening European security by “ruthlessly deploying a fleet of rusty tankers”.

Russia, which has previously refused to respond to accusations that it uses a shadow navy, has yet to comment on the incident.

The US, UK and EU have sanctions imposed for Russia’s oil industry after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In its first report on the tanker floating in German waters, the CCME said the ship was 274m (898ft) long and 48m (157ft) wide, carrying about 99,000 tonnes of oil.

German maritime authorities said the oil tanker was moving at low speed in the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea, north of the German island of Rügen.

A team of four specialists was lowered to the ship by helicopter on Friday evening to establish towing lines, which were secured. Three tugs took control of the “stricken vessel” which was “unable to maneuver”.

Maritime authorities said Friday evening that no oil leaks had been found.

In his last update on Saturday evening, German maritime authorities said the convoy towing the tanker was headed for Sassnitz, a town on the island of Rügen, and would arrive early Sunday.

Earlier, authorities said the convoy of tugboats working to rescue the Eventin remained north of Rügen and was moving east “slowly”, at about 2.5 km per hour (1.5 miles per hour).

The CCME said they had taken safety measures in view of rough seas, as the area where the ship was located was experiencing waves as high as 2.5 meters (8 feet) and increasing wind gusts.

Although the vessel was flying the Panamanian flag, German authorities blamed Russia for the incident.

“Russia threatens our European security not only with its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, but also with downed cables, displaced border buoys, disinformation campaigns, GPS jammers and, as we have seen, half-destroyed oil tankers,” the German foreign minister said in a statement.

Last December, the European Union said it was working on measures, including sanctions, to target “Russia’s shadow fleet, which threatens security and the environment while funding Russia’s military budget.”

The European bloc’s remarks came after undersea cables in the Baltic Sea were damaged by a suspected vessel the EU believes is part of Russia’s shadow fleet.

The move was another step taken by Western countries to hit the Kremlin’s oil industry in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

As tougher embargo measures were put in place to stop Russia exporting oil, Moscow is believed to be using ships of unclear ownership to transport goods – namely oil – around the world.

As reported by the Atlantic Council, a US-based think tank, Russia has “instrumentalized the dark navy, using it particularly as a major pipeline for oil exports.”

The shadow fleet or dark fleet is the name given to aging ships that sail “without industry-standard Western insurance, have opaque ownership, frequently change their names and flag registrations, and generally operate outside of maritime regulations,” according to the Atlantic Council.

The latest incident in the Baltic Sea comes after Washington and London joined forces to directly sanction energy companies Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the move to weaken Russian oil companies would “drain Russia’s military assets”, adding that funds taken “out of Putin’s hands are helping to save Ukrainian lives”.

But Gazprom Neft denounced the sanctions as “groundless” and “illegitimate,” as reported by Russian state news agencies.

Also on Friday, the US Treasury Department said it had sanctioned 183 ships that were “part of the shadow fleet, as well as oil tankers owned by Russian-based fleet operators.”