Abandoned Russian tanker leaking oil off Oman coast, threatening environmental disaster

Key Points:

• The Russian tanker Caroline Bezengi, carrying up to 40 million gallons of oil, ran aground off Oman's coast after an unexplained explosion, raising fears of a major environmental disaster comparable to the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill.
• The tanker, linked to Russia's shadow fleet for moving sanctioned oil, began leaking oil by June 30, with hundreds of thousands of gallons spilled by early August, threatening protected marine life in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea.
• Oman has taken responsibility for spill containment and mitigation efforts amid the ship owner's lack of public response and potential inadequate insurance, deploying specialized teams despite challenging monsoon weather conditions.
• Salvage operations face significant difficulties due to extreme sea conditions, and experts warn that only about 20% of spilled oil is typically recoverable, highlighting the potential scale of environmental damage.
• The incident underscores risks associated with Russia's aging shadow fleet, which often operates under opaque ownership and minimal insurance, raising concerns about who will bear the costs of cleanup and environmental restoration.