An oil spill from a tanker belonging to Russia's shadow fleet occurred near Oman
Off the coast of Oman, a suspected oil spill was detected from a sanctioned tanker that is part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet. Traces of pollution were spotted on satellite images, and several independent experts confirmed that they resemble an oil slick.
The tanker was carrying Russian oil and is already subject to sanctions by the EU and the United Kingdom. The cause of the spill has not yet been officially determined.
A suspected oil spill occurred off the coast of Oman from the sanctioned tanker Caroline Bezengi, which is part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet. According to the agency, the vessel loaded Russian oil at the port of Novorossiysk prior to its most recent voyage.
It is known that the tanker last reported its location via the Automatic Identification System (AIS) on June 11 near the coast of Yemen. After that, no further signals were received from the vessel. According to shipping databases, the tanker is listed as being owned by the Shanghai-based company Rentoor Shipmanagement.
The Copernicus Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellites detected marine surface pollution between July 2 and 13. The images show a slick that formed in a bay southwest of Al-Kibliya Island off the coast of Oman. Three independent experts who analyzed the satellite data reached the same conclusion. John Amos of SkyTruth, Leon Morland of the Conflict and Environment Observatory, and Louis Goddard of Data Desk told Reuters that the images “resemble an oil spill.”
The exact cause of the spill is currently unknown. There is no official information yet regarding an accident or damage to the tanker. At the same time, two Reuters sources in the maritime security sector reported that problems with this vessel arose as early as June 8 near the Yemeni port of Mukalla.
Reuters notes that Russia actively uses what is known as a “shadow fleet”—old tankers that are often in poor technical condition. Moscow is using these vessels to circumvent Western sanctions and continue exporting oil.
The tanker Caroline Bezengi is already subject to sanctions by the European Union and the United Kingdom for its involvement in transporting Russian oil. If the information about the spill is officially confirmed, the incident could become yet another example of the environmental risks associated with the operations of the Russian shadow fleet. Reuters reports this, citing an analysis of satellite imagery and the conclusions of independent experts.
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