The large-scale oil spill in the Black Sea near Anapa may be a consequence of Russia’s use of technically obsolete vessels of the so-called shadow fleet.
This was stated by the spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy, Dmytro Pletenchuk, on TV, Ukrinform reports.
According to Pletenchuk, the Russian Federation is actively using auxiliary vessels for oil transshipment, in particular river-to-sea tankers, which are outdated and in poor technical condition.
«They use the technical fleet uncontrollably… And, of course, the technical condition of these vessels… does not meet any requirements,» the spokesman said.
In addition, according to him, this is a violation of the basic rules for the operation of these vessels. Pletenchuk recalled that similar tankers have previously suffered accidents due to going out to sea during storms, which does not meet the conditions of their use.
«I wouldn’t be surprised if the Russians repeated this feat once again, because (for them) the main thing is to sell oil. And what happens next, no one cares,» Pletenchuk said.
At the same time, according to him, in such cases the Russian side traditionally tries to shift responsibility to Ukraine, accusing it of attacks on tankers.
