A recent explosion damaged the Maltese-flagged tanker Seajewel in Savona, leaving a large tear but no casualties or spills. Investigators suspect an explosive device, while media reports suggest a link to Russian shadow fleets involved in smuggling oil into Europe
A mysterious explosion. The tanker Seajewel – which departed Algeria and arrived in Savona last Friday – sustained significant damage following an explosion:
- A tear exceeding one metre was observed on one side.
- Fortunately, no one was injured and no fuel was spilled, averting an environmental disaster.
- Divers are at work, and the vessel remains stable while the Port Authority continues its operations a few kilometres offshore.
What happened? In a statement issued on Monday, 17 February, the Savona Port Authority dispelled rumours circulating earlier in the day:
- Between midnight and 1 a.m. on 14 February, during crude oil offloading operations at a tanker moored at the Sarpom buoy field, specialised personnel detected certain procedural anomalies.
- As a precaution, operations were halted and all anti-pollution and firefighting protocols were activated.
- No fuel spills or injuries were recorded, and technical inspections are underway to ascertain the cause of the anomalies and secure the safe resumption of activities.
- Investigators are now focused on the cause of the blast.
- Preliminary evidence – including inwardly bent metal plates and a notable fish kill in the surrounding waters – points to the use of an explosive device.
The suspicion. Journalistic investigations have also raised the spectre of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleets”:
- According to Ukrainska Pravda, Seajewel has, on at least three occasions in recent years, visited the Russian port of Novorossijsk before moving on to Turkey and subsequently to European ports.
- An investigation by the European Anti-Fraud Prosecutor’s Office has even produced a photograph of the tanker while docking at Constanta in Romania.
