EVENTIN

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Investigations off Sassnitz are going on

The "Eventin" is still not allowed to continue its journey due to ongoing investigations. As long as the results of the investigations are pending, a sailing ban applies. Two investigations are underway in which customs and the classification society DNV are involved. The results were sent to Panama as the flag state, which instructed the crew of the "Eventin" to cooperate with the authorities in Germany. There was no precise information on the further timetable. The customs inspections focused on the question of whether the approximately 100,000 tons of oil on board the "Eventin" was Russian oil and whether the EU oil embargo was being violated. The Stralsund public prosecutor's office had announced that there was no initial suspicion of a crime. The ageing ship was also prohibited from sailing due to technical shortcomings.

Tanker remains off Sassnitz while inspections are going on

The "Eventin" was still detained on Jan 30, almost three weeks after its accident near the island of Rügen. The technical inspection has not yet been completed, according to the Federal Ministry of Transport. The temporary ban on further sailing by the ship safety department therefore still applied. A few days later, the main engine was running again, and the captain asked for permission to leave. However, this was also prohibited due to inspections by the General Customs Directorate. An investigation was being carried out to determine whether the cargo was Russian oil and whether the EU oil embargo was being violated. According to the Stralsund public prosecutor's office, the inspection carried out so far has not revealed any initial suspicion of a criminal offense. Representatives of the classification society DNV went on board for the technical inspection. The evaluation of this inspection has not been completed. The tanker is on a list of ships from the so-called Russian shadow fleet, which mostly refers to older tankers and other cargo ships with opaque ownership structures that Russia uses to circumvent sanctions as a result of its war against Ukraine.

Shadow fleet tanker remains in German custody

The 'Eventin' is remaining in German custody. The authorities will not let the ship sail until the safety on board complies with international regulations. At the same time, the German customs service has seized the ship's cargo of 99,000 tons of Russian oil, on the grounds that the cargo is a violation of the international embargo against the export of Russian oil. According to the German authorities, in this context, it does not matter why the tanker is in German waters. The captain had requested permission to continue sailing, as the ship's engines have now been repaired and power is back on board.