A Russian tanker, part of the so-called “shadow fleet,” was found adrift in the Baltic Sea near the northern coast of Germany. The vessel, carrying 100,000 tons of oil, lost power and steering, prompting emergency measures from the German authorities. No oil leak was reported, but the incident has raised concerns about Russian tactics to bypass Western sanctions.

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• A Russian tanker, carrying 99,000 tons of oil, was adrift in the Baltic Sea off Germany’s northern coast.
• The tanker, called Eventin, lost power and steering on Friday evening and drifted at low speed in coastal waters.
• Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (CCME) dispatched three tugboats and a team of towing specialists by helicopter to secure the vessel.
• The ship is part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which includes non-insured vessels used to circumvent Western sanctions.
• No oil leak has been reported from the Eventin tanker, which was en route from Russia’s Ust-Luga port to Egypt’s Port Said.
• German authorities are monitoring the situation closely, with heavy winds and waves of up to 2.5 meters forecasted for the next 24 hours.
• German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized Russia’s use of dilapidated tankers, calling them a security threat to Europe.
• Over 70 Russian ships have been sanctioned by the European Union, with the US and UK recently announcing additional sanctions on around 180 vessels.
• The Eventin incident comes amid increasing concerns about the use of these tankers to evade sanctions linked to Russia’s activities in Ukraine.