Explosion grounds Russian oil tanker near Oman

On August 8, a Russian oil tanker named Caroline Bezengi experienced an explosion, which resulted in the ship grounding off the coast of Oman and creating a substantial oil slick spanning approximately 400 square kilometers, according to Reuters on August 10. The vessel was transporting nearly 1 million barrels of Russian crude, as reported by tracking data.

The incident occurred following the tanker initially notifying about difficulties near Yemen's coast on August 8. Thus far, no group has taken responsibility for the attack on the vessel. Oman disclosed in its initial environmental report that they are actively working to control the leak near the Hallaniyat Islands. The tanker's tracking records indicate that it was loaded at Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in April and had transited through the Suez Canal in late May.

Built in 2001, the Caroline Bezengi is part of a group of older tankers, referred to as the shadow fleet, commonly utilized by Russia. These vessels often lack adequate insurance and sail under flags of convenience to conceal ownership. Public shipping databases indicate that the Caroline Bezengi was sailing under the Cameroon flag; however, it was among 39 vessels that were removed from Cameroon's registry in June. The ship is currently under sanctions by the European Union, the UK, Canada, and Switzerland.