Authorities in Russia have reported that two oil tankers have been severely damaged in the Black Sea, leading to a significant oil spill.
Footage released by Russia’s Southern Transport Prosecutor’s Office revealed that one tanker had its bow completely broken off, with visible streaks of oil in the surrounding waters.
The tankers are believed to have drifted before running aground offshore, and reports indicate that at least one crew member has been killed during the incident.
This event occurred in the Kerch Strait, which separates Russia from Crimea—the Ukrainian peninsula that was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014.
A coordinated rescue operation involving tugboats, helicopters, and over 50 personnel successfully evacuated 13 crew members from one of the tankers, although the operation had to be suspended due to adverse weather conditions.
The remaining 14 crew members on the second tanker reportedly have “everything necessary for immediate life support,” but they are expected to remain stranded until weather conditions improve.
In response to the incident, President Vladimir Putin has ordered the creation of a working group led by Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev to address the situation. Authorities are also investigating possible criminal negligence related to the accident.
Michelle Bockmann, an analyst with Lloyd’s List, noted that both tankers are owned by Volgatanker and are relatively small, carrying around 4,300 deadweight tonnes of oil each, as reported by Russian officials.
In contrast, tankers that transport Russian crude oil internationally typically have a carrying capacity of approximately 120,000 deadweight tonnes. This suggests that the involved vessels were likely utilized for transporting oil via Russia’s rivers or along its coastal waters.
The Kerch Strait serves as a vital route for Russian grain exports and is also used for shipping crude oil, fuel oil, and liquefied natural gas.
In 2007, the Volgoneft-139 tanker split in half during a storm while anchored in the Kerch Strait, spilling over 1,000 tonnes of oil.
Since February 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, its oil imports have faced heavy sanctions from allied nations. In recent times, Russia has been accused of utilizing a so-called “ghost fleet” of poorly maintained tankers lacking proper insurance to transport oil and circumvent international sanctions. However, Bockmann stated that the tankers involved in this latest incident do not appear to be part of that fleet.
Credit: BBC News
