Watch: Tanker Breaks Into Two & Spills Nearly 4,000 Tons Of Oil In Kerch Strait

Around 3700 tons of fuel oil was spilt into the Kerch Strait over the weekend after a Russian tanker broke apart during severe storm conditions. The Volgoneft 212, a 136-meter vessel built in 1969, broke in two, causing a massive oil leak.

Its bow section was torn away in heavy seas, as seen in the footage below. Black oil slicks surrounded the damaged tanker.

The Volgoneft 212 was carrying 4,300 tons of mazut, a heavy, low-grade oil. One of the 13-member crew of the tanker died in the incident, Russian officials confirmed.

A second tanker, identified as the Volgoneft 239, was also damaged during the storm. The vessel, built in 1973, measuring 132-meter was left drifting before running aground near the port of Taman in Russia’s Krasnodar region.

All 14 crew members aboard were rescued safely. Both tankers were transporting a combined total of 9,200 tons of mazut.

The spill has raised serious environmental concerns, as oil continued to spread in the Kerch Strait, a critical waterway connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov.

Video Credits: Guardian News/YouTube

Russian authorities have deployed over 50 personnel, helicopters, and tugboats to respond to the oil spill, but strong winds of up to 70 km/h and rough seas have made cleanup efforts difficult.

Officials are still assessing the full extent of the damage.

Greenpeace Ukraine stated that this spill is far larger than a similar incident in 2007, which caused widespread contamination and harmed thousands of birds and marine life.

Experts warn that prevailing winds and currents could push the oil ashore, making cleanup extremely difficult.

Dr Paul Johnston of Greenpeace Research Laboratories explained that heavy oils like mazut cause major damage to shorelines and marine ecosystems and are harder to contain in bad weather.

Ukrainian officials have criticised Russia for prioritising oil transfers over safety. Ukraine’s Navy spokesperson, Dmytro Pletenchuk, added that both tankers were over 50 years old and lacked proper safety compliance.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Zelensky, called the spill a “large-scale environmental disaster” and urged stricter sanctions on Russian tankers.

In response, the European Union introduced new sanctions targeting Russia’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers, banning port access and maritime services for vessels suspected of bypassing international regulations.

The Kerch Strait, under Russian control since the 2014 annexation of Crimea, remains a region of political and environmental tension.

References: AP, CNN

Source: Maritime Shipping News