Two Russian oil tankers with 29 crew members aboard were severely damaged in the Black Sea during a storm, resulting in an oil spill, Russian authorities have reported.
Footage released by Russia’s Southern Transport Prosecutor’s Office shows one tanker, reportedly split in half and sinking, with oil streaks visible on the water’s surface. The other tanker, initially adrift after sustaining damage, may have later run aground, according to conflicting reports. At least one crew member has been confirmed dead.
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The incident occurred in the Kerch Strait, a vital waterway between Russia and Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014.
President Vladimir Putin has directed Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev to lead a task force addressing the disaster, with an investigation into potential criminal negligence underway. A rescue and clean-up operation involving tugboats, helicopters, and over 50 personnel is ongoing.
According to Rosmorrechflot, Russia’s federal sea and inland water transport agency, the tankers Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 sank during the storm. Both vessels carried crews of 15 and 14 members, respectively, and spilled an unspecified amount of oil into the sea.
Michelle Bockmann, a shipping analyst from Lloyd’s List, explained that the two relatively small tankers, each with a capacity of 3,500 dead weight tonnes, were likely used for transporting oil along Russia’s rivers and coastal waters. These are distinct from the larger vessels typically used for international crude oil transport.
The Kerch Strait is a crucial trade corridor for Russian grain, crude oil, fuel oil, and liquefied natural gas. This latest incident evokes memories of a similar disaster in 2007 when another Volgoneft tanker split in half, spilling over 1,000 tonnes of oil into the same area.
Russian oil exports have faced increased scrutiny and sanctions from Ukraine’s allies since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Although Russia has been accused of using a “ghost fleet” of poorly maintained and uninsured tankers to bypass sanctions, Bockmann noted there is no indication that the vessels involved in this incident were part of that fleet.
The full scope of the oil spill and the fate of the tankers remain unclear.
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