Oil Spill from Sanctioned Russian Tanker Hits Oman Coastline

A vast oil slick from the grounded tanker Caroline Bezengi has reached the coastline of Oman, threatening up to 40 kilometers of shoreline near Ras Madraka and Masirah Island. The vessel, which was carrying an estimated 800,000 to 1 million barrels of Russian oil, ran aground in June after reporting a suspected explosion off the coast of Yemen on June 8. No party has claimed responsibility for the incident, and the cause of the explosion remains unconfirmed.

The spill is concentrated around the Hallaniyat archipelago, where it threatens a marine nature reserve home to Arabian Sea humpback whales and Socotra cormorants. While Omani authorities previously estimated the slick covered nearly 400 square kilometers, environmental specialists and groups such as Greenpeace suggest the area is significantly larger. Some estimates place the spill at over 600 square kilometers, while others claim it has expanded to more than 2,000 square kilometers.

The Caroline Bezengi is identified as part of Russia's shadow fleet, consisting of older vessels used to bypass international sanctions. The ship is sanctioned by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, and Ukraine. It is owned and operated by China based firms and lacks recognized Western insurance. The International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds stated it would not cover clean up costs because the incident is being treated as an act of war rather than a simple accident.

Containment efforts have been hampered by seasonal monsoon conditions, which the International Maritime Organization says have limited access to the tanker. Omani authorities have deployed booms to stem the spread, but specialists warn that without stabilizing the tanker and transferring the remaining crude, the disaster could rival the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in size.