A STRICKEN ‘zombie’ ship from Russia’s shadowy dark fleet is currently drifting without power just 60 to 80 kilometres off the Costa del Sol, sparking fears of a major environmental disaster.
The engines of the 19-year-old Chariot Tide, which is carrying between 300,000 and 425,000 barrels of refined oil products, failed earlier this week in the Strait of Gibraltar.
Despite carrying oil from the Russian Baltic port of Ust-Luga, the vessel is effectively stateless, sailing under a fraudulent Mozambique flag, which renders its insurance null and void.
It has been drifting ‘not under command’ for days – moving at a snail’s pace of just 0.2 to 1 knot – after nearly running aground against the Moroccan coast.
Local concerns are high – observers fear a repeat of the 2002 Prestige disaster, which an oil tanker split apart off the coast of Galicia, causing Spain’s worst environmental catastrophe.
The Chariot Tide’s cargo of refined diesel could wash up on the beaches and marine life of the Costa del Sol if its hull fails.
The crisis began on Thursday when the tanker suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure. It left it adrift in the busiest shipping lanes of the Strait of Gibraltar.
Moroccan tugs initially responded, preventing the vessel from running aground on their coastline near Tangier.
READ MORE: Surge in Russian ships through the Strait of Gibraltar sparks underpolicing fears
However, instead of bringing the sanctioned vessel into a Moroccan port, authorities towed it east.
They effectively pushed the problem into international waters and Spain’s Search and Rescue (SAR) zone.
The Spanish maritime rescue vessel Maria Zambrano, named after the famous Malaga philosopher, is now closely monitoring the rogue tanker.
The pollution control ship Luz de Mar is also on standby to ensure it does not drift into Spanish territorial waters.
The Chariot Tide is part of Russia’s ‘dark fleet’ – vessels known for using deceptive practices to bypass EU and UK sanctions.
This incident follows closely on the heels of other major interventions.
Just last week, the French Navy dramatically seized another Russian shadow tanker, the Grinch, in the Mediterranean. It was later diverted to Marseille.
Earlier this month, US and UK forces also intercepted the Bella 1 for sanctions violations.
The Chariot Tide itself has a history of ‘breakdowns’. In December, it experienced similar ‘technical issues’ near critical undersea cables in the Baltic Sea. The German Navy was forced to board it then.
The Spanish government is known to be monitoring the ship closely – they must decide whether to allow the uninsured vessel to continue drifting, risking an ecological disaster on their shores.
Or they can follow France’s lead and seize the tanker, risking a diplomatic confrontation with Moscow.
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