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Sanctioned Russian oil tanker leaks oil off Oman coast
The Caroline Bezengi tanker, subject to European Union and UK sanctions, started leaking while transporting crude oil it loaded from Russia off the coast of Oman. Satellite images show the vessel listing and an oil slick spreading.
A tanker belonging to the 'shadow fleet' used to circumvent Western sanctions has caused a serious oil spill off the coast of Oman. The vessel, named Caroline Bezengi, began leaking oil while transporting crude oil it loaded from Russia's Novorossiysk port.
The first breakdown report was made off Yemen's port of Mukalla on June 8. Two maritime security sources stated that there were assessments indicating an explosion occurred on the vessel. Satellite images dated July 28 detected a dark oil slick near the ship and lighter-coloured spots near el-Qibliyyah island close to the Omani coast.
Wim Zwijnenburg, an expert from the Dutch peace organization Pax, said after examining the images, "The dark oil stains indicate that at least one of the vessel's hulls has ruptured and is leaking crude oil." Zwijnenburg warned that the monsoon season, peaking in July-August, could rapidly spread the spill.
Reuters confirmed that the deck structure and paint of the vessel in the satellite images matched archive images of the Caroline Bezengi, which is subject to EU and UK sanctions. The ship is on the sanctions list on the allegation that it transports Russian fuels.
An oil tanker expert who reviewed the images stated that the vessel may be listing, while other maritime sources warned that the ship could break apart later. A spokesperson for the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) said, "Currently, the vessel is not broken apart. Discussions are ongoing with authorities to address safety and environmental risks."
Maritime databases show Shanghai-based Rentoor Shipmanagement as the owner of the vessel, but the company could not be reached. Oman's Ministry of Transport also did not respond to a request for comment.
It is not yet clear whether the explosion resulted from a possible Ukrainian attack targeting Russia-linked tankers, or from the conflicts in the Middle East.
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