The Caroline Bezengi is believed to be a part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ that Moscow makes use of to bypass Western sanctions on its oil exports.
Revealed On 10 Aug 2026
Oman says it’s working to comprise an oil spill off its southern coast that covers nearly 400 sq. kilometres (150 sq. miles) from a stricken tanker stranded for greater than a month inside a protected marine space.
The Oman Setting Authority stated on Monday that the continuing spill was inside an estimated 7km (4.4 miles) of the coast, in keeping with its most up-to-date evaluation.
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Environmental group Greenpeace final week estimated the slick at round 600 sq. kilometres (230 sq. miles), citing evaluation of satellite tv for pc imagery.
The Caroline Bezengi loaded at Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in April and handed by way of the Suez Canal on the finish of Might, ship-tracking knowledge reveals. An investigation by the AFP information company discovered that the tanker had been stranded since early June close to Oman’s al-Qibliyyah Island after it was rocked by an explosion, inflicting water to enter a number of sections of the vessel.
The slick was concentrated round Oman’s Hallaniyat archipelago, the place Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Stated established a marine reserve final yr to guard delicate ecosystems house to various marine life, together with uncommon sea turtles.
The nation’s atmosphere authority stated speedy motion was wanted to guard the world’s biodiversity, together with “coral reefs, turtle nesting areas, marine habitats and coastal areas of ecological significance”.
A report within the state-backed Oman Information Company quoted an official with the Transport Ministry as saying authorities have been conducting aerial surveillance and had deployed divers.
The official stated authorities have been within the early levels of growing a plan to switch the vessel’s oil cargo “to cut back the dangers arising from the incident, guarantee navigational security and shield the marine atmosphere”.
Omani authorities haven’t but recognized the reason for the spill.
Greenpeace and Dutch peace organisation PAX informed AFP that the spill was on the verge of inflicting an “environmental catastrophe”, saying the tanker was carrying round a million barrels of crude certain for Asia.
The ship is believed to be a part of Russia’s “shadow fleet”, which Moscow makes use of to bypass Western sanctions on its oil exports, with ships crusing underneath the flags of assorted nations to obscure their true possession.
The fleet contains ageing vessels which have confronted criticism over upkeep, insurance coverage and security requirements.
The Caroline Bezengi is topic to sanctions imposed by the European Union, Ukraine, the UK, Canada and Switzerland.
Tankers have been regularly focused within the Gulf area for the reason that US-Israel war on Iran started on the finish of February.
