A Russian tanker has broken down and gone adrift in the Bay of Biscay off the coast of France, sparking alarm online. Described as an “environment bomb” by a user on BlueSky, the ship known as the Unity lost propulsion during stormy conditions on January 23, according to the outlet Splash247.
Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for comment via email outside of business hours.
Why It Matters
There have been numerous recent incidents in which Russian ships have had issues in the Baltic Sea and other waters and due to the sanctions recently imposed on Moscow’s shadow fleet, a loss of any ships carrying oil is another punch to the industry and Russia’s economy.
What To Know
The Unity tanker departed Primorsk, Russia’s second largest port, on January 16 and later went adrift in the Atlantic after losing power. The ship is a 16-year-old Aframax, a type of oil tanker between 80,000 and 120,000 deadweight tons, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The Unity was transporting Russian oil bound for Mangalore, India.
The tanker is owned by the Argo Tanker Group, located in Moscow, and they acquired the ship in September last year. The Unity is a crude oil tanker that is 245.07 meters (approximately 804 feet) long and 42 meters (approximately 137 feet) wide, according to MarineTraffic.com.
Not the only Russian ship to go adrift recently, Moscow’s Eventin, a Panama-flagged ship believed to be part of their shadow fleet of oil tankers, broke down a few miles north of Rügen Island in the Baltic Sea. The ship, reportedly one of Russia’s many vessels used to evade international sanctions in transporting oil, was believed to have 99,000 tons of oil on board. German authorities managed to “establish a towing connection” and held the ship, which was en route to Egypt, so that it did not continue drifting in the NATO Lake.
A Russian oil tanker, the Volgoneft 239, aground near Krasnodar Region, Russia, photographed on January 19, 2025.
A Russian oil tanker, the Volgoneft 239, aground near Krasnodar Region, Russia, photographed on January 19, 2025.
Vitaly Timkiv/Associated Press
What People Are Saying
In a post on BlueSky, the user auonsson, among the first to spot the stranded ship, wrote: “Bay of Biscay. Russian tanker. Drifting seemingly dead in water. Waves 4.3m. Wind 37 knots. Both expected to increase. Ie, a likely broken environment bomb in a strong gale in one of the worlds most treacherous waters, no bueno. At least the tanker is only 16 years old…. Hope the crew is alright.”
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Bart Gonnissen, a Senior Maritime Pilot in the Netherlands, commented on the ship going adrift: “Of course.”
He also posted a picture of a map of the ship’s location, and highlighted the notification that it is “not under command.”
What Happens Next
Whether or not the French or other international authorities will tow the ship before it breaks down further is unknown at this time.