MOSCOW – Two Russian oil tankers were severely damaged by a storm in the Kerch Strait on Sunday, leading to an oil spill and triggering a major rescue operation, according to Russian officials.
Reports indicated that at least one of the vessels later sank.
The first tanker, Volgoneft-212, was carrying 13 crew members and a load of fuel oil when it ran aground. The storm caused the ship’s bow to tear away, and one crew member was confirmed dead. However, the remaining sailors were successfully evacuated during the rescue operation, the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry reported.
The second tanker, Volgoneft-239, was also damaged and drifted with 14 crew members on board. It later ran aground just 80 meters from the shore near the port of Taman in Russia’s Krasnodar region. A rescue operation is currently underway for this vessel, officials said.
The two tankers were carrying nearly 9,000 tons of mazut, a type of heavy, low-grade fuel oil. Social media footage from the scene showed a dark oil slick in the water.
Russian authorities confirmed the oil spill but stated that experts are still assessing the full scale and impact of the leak.
The Kerch Strait, which separates the Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula from mainland Russia, is a crucial shipping route connecting the Sea of Azov with the Black Sea. The region has also been a point of tension between Russia and Ukraine since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. In 2016, Ukraine brought Russia to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, accusing Moscow of attempting to illegally control the strait. Russia also closed the strait for several months in 2021.
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