Oman is facing an impending environmental catastrophe as an alleged Russian shadow fleet tanker leaks oil across hundreds of square kilometres near a nature reserve, NGOs warn. The ship was rocked by explosions, a maritime security firm told AFP, but the cause of the blasts is unclear. Russia has built up a ghost fleet of old ships with opaque ownership to get around Western sanctions since its 2022 Ukraine invasion, and experts have said the vessels' poor condition increases the risk of oil spills.

An oil spill from a sanctioned tanker off Oman is expanding dramatically, reaching shorelines and spreading far out to sea

El buque está varado en las costas de Omán desde junio.Había partido desde Rusia en abril y se sospecha que es parte de la "flota en las sombras" de Moscú.