Russia has authorised unreinforced oil tankers to sail through its icy Northern Sea Route for the first time, triggering warnings Moscow is risking a catastrophic Arctic spill as it reroutes sanctions-hit energy exports to Asia.
Two tankers were granted permission in August to carry out the 3,500-mile long journey along Russia’s northern coast, despite not being so-called “ice class” tankers that are strengthened to withstand icier conditions.
The thin-hulled vessels sailed for China in early September, navigating one of the most dangerous ice passages on the planet for the first time, far from any capabilities to respond to oil spills.
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