Germany Seizes Tanker from Russia’s ‘Shadow Fleet’

German customs has seized the Eventin tanker from Russia's ‘shadow fleet’ along with approximately 100,000 tonnes of crude oil worth €40 million, Der Spiegel reports.  

The German government has decided to take decisive action against the tanker, which is part of Russia's ‘shadow fleet’ used to circumvent sanctions and sell oil around the world.  

On 14 March, German customs authorities detained the Panamanian-flagged tanker Eventin, which had been anchored off the coast of Rügen since mid-January. According to an order of the Main Customs Office, the vessel and approximately 100,000 tonnes of crude oil, valued at €40 million, will become German property.  

According to sources in the German security services, the flag of the Eventin will be changed after the relevant order.  

According to the newspaper, before that, various ministries had been holding intensive discussions about the fate of the tanker, which was heading from the Russian port of Ust-Luga across the Baltic Sea to Egypt.  

At the beginning of the year, the Eventin experienced manoeuvring difficulties and has been drifting north of Rügen since mid-January. Due to the risk of an oil spill, the vessel was towed to waters near Sassnitz and monitored around the clock by the federal police and coastguard.  

Since the end of February, the tanker has been on the list of Russia's ‘shadow fleet’ maintained by the European Union. After that, the German government decided to arrest it.  

Planning for the safe discharge of oil and further actions with the vessel is currently underway.  

The local authorities of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are keen to resolve this issue as soon as possible, fearing possible environmental risks and a negative impact on the tourism industry.

Read more: Can the West Curb Russia's Shadow Fleet?