The oil tanker Sled, which had been drifting without propulsion in the Baltic Sea, is reportedly underway again. According to ship tracking data, the nearly 200-metre vessel is now moving west through the Kadet Channel, suggesting its propulsion problems have been resolved. No tug was visible near…
The oil tanker Sled, which had been drifting without propulsion in the Baltic Sea, is reportedly underway again. According to ship tracking data, the nearly 200-metre vessel is now moving west through the Kadet Channel, suggesting its propulsion problems have been resolved. No tug was visible near the ship in the position data.
The Bahamas-flagged tanker, said to be carrying Russian crude oil and possibly linked to Russia's so-called shadow fleet, had stalled northeast of Mecklenburger Bucht overnight into Sunday. It then drifted toward Denmark, apparently unable to maneuver, before anchoring for about a day between Rügen and the Danish island of Moen. The vessel appears to be resuming its voyage from the Russian port of Primorsk to Skagen, Denmark.
German emergency tug VB Bremen Fighter had been dispatched to assist the Sled, and federal police were also active overnight into Sunday, primarily monitoring two other Russian vessels that may have been escorting the tanker. Since those ships did not enter German waters, they were observed but not inspected.
The incident underscores ongoing concerns among NATO and Baltic Sea states over Russia's shadow fleet, which has been linked to sanctions evasion, espionage and sabotage. Authorities are still examining what legal options exist to address such vessels, a matter experts describe as legally complex.
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