Russia suspected of sabotaging Azerbaijani oil shipment to Romania
Romanian intelligence suspects Moscow in an act of sabotage against Azerbaijani oil, aimed at undermining Romania's energy supply.
According to a report by G4Media, Russia intentionally contaminated a large shipment of Azerbaijani oil headed to Europe, in what is perceived as an attempt to destabilize the energy networks of NATO ally countries. The attack leveraged a relatively simple method—chlorine contamination.
Reports indicate that oil containing hazardous levels of organic chlorine was delivered through the "Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan" pipeline in July. This contaminant could damage refinery equipment, impairing their operations. A tanker carrying 184,000 tons of this contaminated crude was denied entry at the Romanian port of Constanța, leading to a temporary fuel shortage at OMV's refinery.
Romanian sources suggest this contamination was part of a hybrid operation, where chlorine was deliberately introduced into the pipeline. Suspicions have mounted amid a recent flurry of Russian propaganda on TikTok, alleged election meddling attempts in Romania, and Russian drone strikes on Azerbaijani infrastructure in the Odessa region.
Relations between Russia and Azerbaijan have been deteriorating amidst incidents such as the arrest of Azerbaijani nationals in Russia and a plane crash near Aktau. This has led to mutual accusations and a decline in diplomatic relations.
By compromising Europe's energy security, Moscow risks creating new adversaries. Both Azerbaijan and Romania, previously restrained, may adopt firmer stances against the Kremlin. Such actions reinforce calls within the EU and NATO for Russia's complete isolation from energy markets and increased support for Ukraine.
Experts assert that Russia's attempts to influence geopolitics via sabotage reflect a lack of strategic forethought, inviting new diplomatic spats and furthering its reputation as a global rule-breaker.