Germany was racing Saturday to secure a heavily loaded tanker stranded off its northern coast, towing the stricken ship it said was part of Russia's sanctions-busting "shadow fleet" away from shore to avert an oil spill.

Germany charged that a heavily loaded tanker adrift off its northern coast Friday was part of the "shadow fleet" Moscow uses to avoid sanctions on its oil exports. Although the tanker was navigating under the Panamanian flag,

The Group of Seven democracies have sought to crimp Russia’s oil export earnings that help fund the war against Ukraine.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said a heavily loaded oil tanker that Germany's maritime emergencies agency had to secure on January 10 in the Baltic Sea is part of the "shadow fleet" that Moscow uses to avoid sanctions on its oil exports.

Germany's foreign minister said the ship is one of Moscow's "dilapidated oil tankers" used to circumvent sanctions.A tanker heavily loaded with oil remained adrift in heavy seas off the northern coast of Germany,