Russian Tanker Disaster: Ammonia Spill Follows Explosions at Sea

A recent publication by Bloomberg highlights a concerning incident involving the tanker Eco Wizard, which suffered damage due to two explosions during ammonia loading at ust-Luga port in Russia’s Leningrad Region on July 6. This unfortunate event not only caused the vessel to begin sinking but also resulted in ammonia leaking into the surrounding waters.

According to reports from Russian officials and media outlets, the explosions occurred within a span of about ten minutes in the engine room. The blasts compromised the hull integrity of the Eco wizard, leading to water ingress and causing it to list towards its port side. Consequently, ammonia began seeping from its tanks into the sea.

The Russian Ministry of Transport confirmed that this mishap took place while loading ammonia at JSC EuroChem terminal. They described the leak as “minor” and promptly activated emergency services for response efforts.

At that time, there were 23 crew members aboard, all of whom were successfully evacuated without any reported injuries. Emergency divers have been dispatched for an underwater inspection of the vessel,and cargo operations were halted immediatly following these incidents.

The Eco Wizard is classified as an LPG tanker with a capacity of 40,000 cubic meters and was constructed in 2024 under Marshall Islands registration.Tracking data indicates it had recently arrived from Belgium prior to this incident.Leningrad regional governor Alexander Drozdenko assured that there was no critically important environmental impact resulting from this event. Meanwhile, Russia’s Baltic Maritime Rescue Service has been placed on alert for potential assistance during this emergency situation.

Interestingly, there’s speculation that Eco Wizard may be part of what’s referred to as Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which consists of vessels engaged in transporting oil and chemicals while evading Western sanctions.

Citing data from Vanguard Tech consulting firm reveals that six similar explosions have occurred as early 2025 alone. One notable case involved a Greek-flagged oil tanker named Vilamoura exploding off Libya’s coast on June 27 while carrying one million barrels of crude oil.

Earlier incidents include three other tankers linked with Russian oil suffering mysterious blasts:

• The Greek oil tanker Seajewel experienced an explosion at Italy’s Savona port around February 14-15.
• Another vessel from Greece faced destruction near Türkiye earlier that same month.
• The Cypriot Grace Ferrum was damaged by an explosion close to Libya before nearly capsizing due to loss of control.

All these ships had previously docked at Russian ports; though, official explanations regarding these explosions remain elusive.