Russian tanker trapped in Arctic ice. Risky Shadow Fleet Game

An incident occurred in Russia's northern runs, showing how fragile Russian ambitions are in the Arctic. Tanker Lynx, measuring close to 275 metres, is stuck in ice at the height of the 72nd parallel. The ship, devoid of ice class, remained immobilized on the North Sea Road for several days before the nuclear-powered icebreakers came to help.

The Lynx tanker from the shadow fleet is stuck in Arctic ice.

According to available information, the unit transported about one million barrels of oil from Murmansk to a Chinese port whose name was not disclosed. Lynx, flying the flag of Oman, has long been part of the so-called shadow fleet – an opaque network of oil tankers, thanks to which Moscow bypasses western sanctions on trade in energy resources. The ship has neither ice-resistance certificates nor compulsory permission to sail in Arctic waters.

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The Norwegian media point out that this was not an isolated case. A few days earlier, Arctic Metagaz was in a similar situation, waiting for a week to leave the ice - bound route. Both incidents They illustrate the increasing risk associated with the use of Arctic trail by individuals not adapted to harsh conditions.

Experts: Shadow fleet on NSR is a disaster risk

Experts don't hide outrage. The Russian administration allowed the unit Lynx to a cruise without escort, which fits into the policy of forging traffic on the North Sea Road. In their opinion, it is playing with fate – "the push of Arctic shipping towards disaster", as described by analysts. Not only is the safety of crews at stake, but also the fragile Arctic ecosystem, which could be irreparably destroyed in the event of an oil spill.

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Tanker Lynx IMO number 9412347 is formally owned by Dreamer Shipmanagement of the United Arab Emirates, also associated with the shadow fleet. Unit lists on US, UK and European Union sanction lists. Its history is a directory of false identities: it changed the name, owner and flag. Her name was not long ago. Leo.

This time it ended only at a few days downtime. But every other one. voyage without adequate safeguards, it can turn into a global ecological disaster.

Written by Mariusz Dasiewicz