A sanctioned tanker belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet is reportedly spilling oil in a marine conservation area off the coast of Oman, highlighting the environmental hazards posed by the aging vessels utilized to bypass Western sanctions. According to Reuters, the tanker Caroline Bezengi loaded Russian oil at the port of Novorossiysk before departing on its current voyage. The vessel last broadcast its location via the public Automatic Identification System (AIS) on June 11 near the coast of Yemen.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Imagery captured between July 2 and July 13 by Copernicus Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellites shows a likely oil spill contaminating waters in a bay southwest of Al-Qibliyah island. Three independent experts – John Amos of SkyTruth, Leon Moreland of the Conflict and Environment Observatory, and Louis Goddard of Data Desk – told Reuters the imagery is consistent with an oil spill. Shipping databases list the vessel’s owner as the Shanghai-based company Rentoor Shipmanagement. While the exact cause of the leak remains unconfirmed, two maritime security sources reported that the tanker experienced operational difficulties on June 8 off the coast of the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla. The EU and the UK previously sanctioned the Caroline Bezengi for its involvement in transporting Russian oil. Russia increasingly relies on poorly maintained, older tankers – collectively referred to as the shadow fleet – to sustain its petroleum exports amid international restrictions.