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A mysterious Russian tanker that’s been deserted in Poland’s Port of Gdynia since 2017 is again within the highlight, elevating eyebrows and main safety issues as whispers of espionage swirl round its rusty hull.
The Khatanga, a 23,000-tonne product tanker, has been docked and deteriorating for over six years after failing a Port State inspection. The inspection uncovered critical structural points and crew competency issues, forcing the vessel into indefinite limbo. However now, with Poland’s army intelligence and safety businesses taking a eager curiosity, the once-forgotten ship is inflicting a storm – and never simply within the Baltic Sea.
Ghost ship or secret spy base?
Deserted by its house owners, Murmansk Delivery Firm, after their 2020 chapter, the Khatanga has been left to rot with out a lot as a skeleton crew to maintain it afloat. The scenario got here to a head throughout current winter storms when the tanker broke unfastened from its moorings not as soon as, however twice – on December 15 and January 12 – prompting frantic efforts from close by tugs to forestall a catastrophe.
Poland’s Port of Gdynia, which performs an important function in NATO logistics and homes the Polish Navy’s operations, is now going through robust questions. Is the Khatanga merely a derelict hazard, or might it disguise one thing sinister? With recollections of the Eagle S tanker loaded with Russian spying gear nonetheless contemporary, suspicions are mounting over what could be lurking aboard the Khatanga.
Explosive potential – actually
So as to add gas to the hearth (or probably begin one), the Khatanga’s oil tanks haven’t been degassed in years. This neglect might imply explosive gases have constructed up onboard, turning the ship right into a floating bomb ready for a spark. But Polish authorities have been unable to examine the vessel attributable to authorized hurdles, leaving it a ticking time bomb docked of their yard.
Parliament and port bosses demand motion
Members of Poland’s Particular Companies Committee are actually calling for solutions, as army counterintelligence and the Inside Safety Company dig into the thriller surrounding the tanker. In the meantime, Gdynia’s Seaport Authority has been preventing a authorized battle to grab the ship, citing years of unpaid port charges racked up by its absentee house owners.
Including the Murmansk Delivery Firm to worldwide sanctions lists is one potential transfer, which might permit Polish authorities to take management of the vessel. Brokers have even listed the Khatanga on the market, although who would wish to purchase this rusting headache stays a thriller in itself.
A Baltic thriller with excessive stakes
With the port’s strategic significance and NATO’s gear passing by way of its container terminal, the stakes couldn’t be increased. Is the Khatanga simply an ageing rust bucket, or does it pose a far higher menace?
For now, the Russian ghost ship stays moored in Gdynia, its secrets and techniques as tightly sealed as its oil tanks. However as Polish authorities dig deeper, one factor is obvious – this deserted tanker is not drifting underneath the radar.
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