Hostile Act, Not Accident: Russian Shadow Fleet Oil Tanker Threatens Historic Natural Disaster

An oil slick from a sanctioned Russian tanker has expanded to over 2,000 square kilometers and reached Oman's shores. The tanker 'Caroline Bazengi' ran aground on June 30 near a marine nature reserve. Cleanup efforts are complicated by the incident being classified as a 'hostile act' and insurance issues. Experts warn of further ship disintegration and severe damage to the reserve.

A massive oil slick leaking from a sanctioned Russian tanker has expanded to over 2,000 square kilometers and reached Oman's shores, according to the UN maritime agency. The tanker 'Caroline Bazengi', carrying about 800,000 barrels of Russian crude oil, ran aground on June 30 near an Omani island that is part of a marine nature reserve. The ship, belonging to Russia's 'shadow fleet', reported difficulties as early as June 8 near Yemen, and maritime sources assessed that an explosion occurred on board. No party claimed responsibility for an attack, but the voyage from Russia to India passed through two active conflict zones, including the Houthi threat in the Red Sea. Cleanup efforts are hampered by a tangle of laws related to war and sanctions. The intergovernmental agency IOPC Funds said it would not fund cleanup costs since the incident is classified as a 'hostile act' rather than an accident. The 25-year-old tanker is not insured by any recognized Western insurance company. Experts warn that if the ship breaks apart, the spill could reach 40 to 50 million gallons, similar to the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster. Oman has begun deploying containment equipment to stop the disaster from spreading toward the nature reserve, which is home to endangered species, including sea turtles, fin whales, and rare coral reefs.