The tanker “Eventin”, moored off Sassnitz on the German island of Rügen, is now on the European Union’s blacklist.
This follows the adoption of the EU’s 16th package of sanctions against Russia, which was approved by the Council of the European Union in Brussels on Monday morning. A total of 74 additional ships from the so-called Russian shadow fleet have been added to the current sanctions list on the third anniversary of Russia’s large-scale attack on Ukraine.
The new sanctions package stipulates, among other measures, that the listed ships may no longer call at European ports or receive support from European companies. This includes services such as tug assistance or supplies for the crew. With these sanctions, the EU aims to increase pressure on Russia ahead of upcoming Ukraine talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Putin.
“Eventin” has 99,000 tons of heavy oil on board
The ships of the so-called shadow fleet are used, for example, to circumvent the Western price cap on Russian oil exports to third countries or to transport grain stolen from Ukraine. There are also concerns that they could be used in the future to sabotage data cables in the Baltic and North Seas.
The “Eventin” could still unload its current cargo in Port Said, Egypt, but afterward, it would fall under EU sanctions. It remains unclear when the vessel will be able to leave its current mooring off Sassnitz.
The tanker ran aground in the Baltic Sea in early January with approximately 99,000 tons of heavy oil on board and has remained off the island since then. According to Greenpeace, the “Eventin” had previously drawn negative attention on multiple occasions. As a result, it was already included on a list of the 192 most dangerous crude oil tankers identified by Greenpeace.
