Key points
- A confiscation order has been issued for the oil tanker Eventin
- The ship valued at approximately €40m
- The ship was en route from Russia to Egypt
ISLAMABAD: Berlin has seized a tanker believed to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” according to a report by a German news magazine. The aging vessel was discovered drifting off the country’s northern coast in January.
A confiscation order has been issued for the oil tanker Eventin and its cargo of around 100,000 metric tons of oil, according to DW.
If confirmed, the order means that both the ship and its cargo, valued at approximately €40 million ($43.3 million), would become German property.
The vessel’s presence in the Baltic Sea near the island of Rügen had raised environmental concerns due to the potential risk of an oil spill.
The ship, which was en route from Russia to Egypt, was detained for investigation by German authorities in January.
Limited details
The news magazine reported that authorities are currently determining the safest way to pump crude oil from the tanker and are considering what to do with the vessel. Officials confirmed only that the ship had been prevented from continuing its journey.
“Customs measures are currently underway, and due to the current security situation, we cannot provide extensive details on the matter,” a spokesperson for the finance ministry stated.
Security analysts allege that Russia is operating hundreds of vessels to bypass sanctions on its oil exports imposed after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The German Foreign Office declined to comment in detail, citing the ongoing security situation and the heightened Russian-Western tensions over the war in Ukraine. “Customs measures are currently underway,” an official said.
Sweden has raised alarms about Russia’s “shadow ships”.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told media on Friday that Moscow had no information about the ship or its owner, nor any knowledge of the reasons behind its seizure.
