Germany Wrecked tanker off the coast of Rügen being towed eastwards
The oil tanker "Eventin", which was wrecked north of Rügen, is being towed eastwards by three powerful tugs for safety reasons.
11.01.2025, 04:41
SDA
The spokesperson for the Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said that they would then have a little more free sea area to the south in case something unforeseen happened. According to the information provided, a team of experts worked for around three hours to ensure that the load of the ship with around 100,000 tons of oil on board was evenly distributed among the tugs. The four seamen were roped down onto the "Eventin" by a federal police helicopter and later picked up again.
The tug and tow was traveling very slowly at one to two knots (1.85 - 3.7 km/h), the spokesman explained on Saturday night. Just under 25 kilometers are to be covered. The maneuver is therefore expected to take eight hours.
Three tugs in action
According to the Central Command for Maritime Emergencies, the 274-metre-long "Eventin" had been drifting in the Baltic Sea north of Rügen since Friday night after a complete power failure on board, a so-called blackout. On Friday afternoon, it was possible to connect the tanker to an emergency tug, which held it in position. When the wind picked up, two more ships were called in to help: the two tugs "VB Luca" and "VB Bremen".
In addition, the Havariekommando transferred the emergency tug "Baltic" from the western Baltic Sea to the vicinity of Darsser Ort. This vessel would then be able to intervene more quickly if further tug assistance was required for the "Eventin".
Squalls during the night
A storm complicated the situation. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), it is expected to reach gusts of up to force 9 on Saturday morning. The gusts are expected to continue until Sunday with a force 7.
It was initially unclear whether, when and how the tanker could be towed to a port. A sensor plane flew over the area on Friday. No oil pollution was detected, it was reported.
According to the information provided, a federal police vessel and a vessel from the Baltic Sea Waterways and Shipping Office, which is also responsible for traffic safety, are also on board the shipwrecked vessel. Due to the power failure on board, no navigation lights are lit on board the "Eventin", according to reports. According to the spokesperson for the Central Command for Maritime Emergencies, the team of experts had flashlights and radios with them "because the batteries on board are slowly running out."
Tanker is attributed to Russian shadow fleet
The "Eventin" was en route from Ust Luga in Russia to Port Said in Egypt. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock accused Russia of causing serious environmental damage with its shadow fleet and at the same time endangering tourism. "With the nefarious deployment of a fleet of rusty tankers, Putin is not only circumventing the sanctions, but is also accepting that tourism on the Baltic Sea will come to a standstill - be it in the Baltic, in Poland or here in Germany," said the Green politician, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Greenpeace marine biologist Thilo Maack said: "Every day, tankers ready for the scrap heap sail from the Russian oil ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga towards the southwest." Although the EU's latest sanctions package is an important step, it is far from enough to protect the Baltic Sea. There was an incident involving a tanker off the coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as recently as mid-October. The small oil tanker "Annika" caught fire in the Baltic Sea within sight of the coast.
The Baltic Sea is one of the busiest seas in the world. According to the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW), more than 2,000 ships sail the inland sea every day.
