Two tankers collided and caught fire in the Gulf of Oman: one of them belongs to the Russian “shadow fleet”
FILE PHOTO: Oil tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz, December 21, 2018. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
Two tankers, one of which, the Adalynn, belongs to Russia’s shadow fleet, collided in strategic waters near the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire, heightening geopolitical tensions in the region and prompting an immediate reaction in global energy markets.
This is reported by Bloomberg .
On the night of June 17, in the waters of the Gulf of Oman, opposite the city of Khor Fakkan (UAE), the supertanker Front Eagle under the Liberian flag and the tanker Adalynn under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda collided.
The latter has been repeatedly identified by international organizations as part of the Russian “shadow fleet” involved in circumventing sanctions, in particular, for transporting oil from Ust-Luga to India.
After the collision, both vessels caught fire. The Adalynn’s crew of 24 were successfully evacuated, as was the Front Eagle’s crew. All survived. The fire was extinguished, but the incident immediately caused a stir among oil traders, causing a surge in freight rates and concerns about the stability of supply routes.
The tanker Adalynn is not the first time in the spotlight. The vessel was actively used to transport Russian oil in circumvention of sanctions restrictions. Ukraine had previously added it to the list of sanctioned objects. According to tracking data, the Adalynn had been wandering in the Gulf of Oman since May and was probably moving towards the Suez Canal without cargo.
Meanwhile, the Front Eagle , a 335-meter supertanker carrying Iraqi crude oil to China, was reported to have suffered electronic jamming near the Iranian port of Assaluyeh on June 15-16, also raising concerns amid rising tensions in the region.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical shipping lane through which up to 20% of the world’s oil passes daily. Iran has repeatedly threatened to block it if regional conflicts escalate. While there are no signs of sabotage so far, experts warn that even isolated incidents could have global consequences.
“When a tanker from the shadow fleet burns in such waters, it’s not just an accident — it’s a geopolitical signal,” comments one Western expert on shipping safety.
Earlier, a large-scale fire broke out in the Pacific Ocean on the Morning Midas ship , which was transporting about three thousand cars, including 800 electric cars and 2,200 traditional cars on a palm tree.
Recall that an accident occurred on the Russian refrigerated vessel Crystal Asia in South Korean waters – an explosion and fire injured several crew members. The incident occurred on March 26 near the port of Kamcheon in the city of Busan.
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