Two Russian Oil Tankers Severely Damaged in Black Sea, Causing Oil Spill
Two Russian oil tankers have suffered significant damage in the Black Sea, resulting in an oil spill, according to authorities in Russia. The incident occurred in the Kerch Strait, which separates Russia from Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014.
Footage released by Russia’s Southern Transport Prosecutor’s Office shows the bow of one tanker completely broken off, with visible oil streaks in the water. Both tankers are believed to have drifted before running aground offshore. At least one crew member was reportedly killed in the incident.
A rescue operation involving tugboats, helicopters, and over 50 personnel managed to rescue 13 crew members from one tanker before being suspended due to bad weather. The 14 remaining crew members on the second tanker are equipped with everything necessary for immediate life support but are likely to be stranded until conditions improve.
President Vladimir Putin has ordered a working group to be established to deal with the incident, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev. Authorities are investigating the incident for criminal negligence.
The two tankers, owned by Volgatanker, were relatively small and had a combined carrying capacity of around 8,600 dead weight tonnes of oil. In comparison, tankers used for international crude oil exports typically have a carrying capacity of around 120,000 dead weight tonnes.
The Kerch Strait is a crucial route for Russian grain and oil exports, and the incident has raised concerns about the safety and maintenance of Russia’s oil tankers. In recent years, Russia has been accused of using a “ghost fleet” of poorly maintained tankers to circumvent sanctions, although it appears the tankers involved in Sunday’s incident were not part of this fleet.
