Oil tanker Eventin off Rügen: Storm and accident cause chaos!

The oil tanker “Eventin” has serious problems north of Rügen today after it became unable to maneuver due to a power failure. The tanker is 274 meters long and carried 100,000 tons of oil. Safety measures are already in full swing as the tanker is being towed east by three tugs. The aim of this action is to create more free sea area towards the south in order to be able to react to unforeseen events.

A team of experts spent three hours distributing the immense load evenly among the tugs. Four sailors were rappelled onto the “Eventin” in a federal police helicopter and brought back. The towing convoy moves at a speed of 1 to 2 knots, which corresponds to 1.85 to 3.7 km/h. A distance of almost 25 kilometers will be covered, with the entire maneuver expected to take eight hours.

Critical weather conditions and measures

The situation around the damaged oil tanker “Eventin” is critical due to the impending storm warnings. Storm warnings predict gusts up to force 9 on Saturday morning and force 7 until Sunday. These weather conditions make the work significantly more difficult. As the Time reported that the emergency services have ordered additional ships, including the emergency tug Bremen Fighter, to keep the unpowered tanker in position.

So far, no oil pollution has been detected during an overflight with a sensor aircraft. Due to the power outage, the tanker's position lights went out, reducing visibility in the intense weather conditions. Both a Federal Police ship and a ship from the Baltic Sea Waterways and Shipping Office are on board the “Eventin” to secure the surrounding area.

Government and environmental organizations react

The "Eventin", which sails under the Panama flag, is part of the Russian shadow fleet, which, according to Greenpeace, includes tankers that are used by Russia to circumvent sanctions on oil transport. A spokesman for Greenpeace, marine biologist Thilo Maack, expressed concerns about the safety of such ships and warned against tankers that are ready for scrap. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock sharply criticized Russia for the potential environmental damage and the threat to tourism in the region.

The Baltic Sea is considered one of the busiest waters in the world, with over 2,000 ships moving daily. The accident command, which is responsible for accidents on the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, was founded in 2003 in order to be able to react more quickly in crisis situations.