After an estimated 3,700 tons of low-grade fuel oil entered the Kerch Strait Two Russian ships were severely damaged by stormy weatherRussian state media reported on Monday. The Volgoneft 239 and Volgoneft 212 vessels were carrying about 9,200 tons of mazut, a heavy, low-quality oil product. Social media footage from the scene showed black liquid rising between the waves.
According to preliminary estimates, 3,700 tons of mazut have leaked into the sea, Russian state news outlet RIA Novosti reported, citing unnamed sources. In a statement, the leader of Russia’s nearby Krasnodar region, Governor Veniamin Kondratev, said the oil had not yet reached shore.
According to the Ministry of Emergencies of Russia, an emergency rescue operation was started on Sunday after the Volgoneft-212 tanker was torn apart in a storm. One sailor from the 13-man crew was killed, officials said.
A second tanker, Volgoneft-239, was also damaged and had 14 crew members on board. It later sank 80 meters off the coast near the port of Taman in Russia’s Krasnodar region, where the sailors were later rescued.
Russian officials confirmed the oil spill on Sunday, but experts are still working to assess its full impact and extent. The Kerch Strait separates the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula from Russia and is an important global shipping route, providing passage from the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.
It has also been a focal point of conflict between Russia and Ukraine since Moscow annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. In 2016, Ukraine took Moscow to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, where it accused Russia of illegally trying to seize control of the region. In 2021, Russia closed the strait for several months.
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