Ukraine Seeks To Hold Russian Captain Accountable For Major Oil Spill In Black Sea

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General has launched legal action against a Russian tanker captain, accusing him of causing a massive oil spill in Ukrainian waters in December 2024.

The spill, which leaked around 1,500 tonnes of fuel oil into the Black Sea, led to environmental damage worth more than $480 million (UAH 20 billion).

The case is linked to an incident involving two Russian tankers, Volgoneft 212 and Volgoneft 239, which were sailing through the Kerch Strait, a key waterway connecting the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.

The Volgoneft 212 sank during the storm, while Volgoneft 239 ran aground and later broke apart. The captain under investigation is said to have been in command of one of these vessels, but his identity and the specific ship he was aboard have not been officially revealed.

According to Ukrainian authorities, the Russian captain, described as a citizen of the “aggressor state”, failed to consider severe winter weather while navigating through the Azov and Black Seas and the Kerch Strait. As a result, one of the tankers suffered mechanical damage, leading to the oil spill into Ukraine’s internal and territorial waters.

Investigators say the tankers were carrying a total of about 4,000 to 4,300 tonnes of M-100 fuel oil from Volgograd to the port of Kavkaz. Ukraine claims the fuel was intended for transfer to a shadow fleet tanker operating in open waters, suggesting the operation was part of Russia’s ongoing attempts to bypass international sanctions.

Video Credits: One Ocean Mariner/YouTube

The Volgoneft 212, which was built in 1969, sank completely, resulting in the death of one seafarer. The Volgoneft 239, a 1973-built vessel, remained afloat but eventually ran aground near the Kerch Bridge, breaking up in the process. Both vessels turned off their AIS (Automatic Identification System) for several days before the incident.

Following the spill, oil drifted ashore at multiple locations along Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, forcing Ukrainian authorities to launch a major cleanup operation in difficult winter conditions. Environmental experts warned that stormy weather would make the cleanup process more complex and could increase long-term ecological damage.

The Ukrainian investigation is being conducted by the Melitopol District Police Department with assistance from the Strategic Investigations Department in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, under the direction of the Prosecutor General’s Office. A notice of suspicion was formally served to the captain, though it is believed he was charged in absentia.

On the other side, Russian authorities have also taken action. According to the Russian news agency TASS, the spill affected areas along Krasnodar Krai and Russian-occupied Crimea, prompting several local governments to declare states of emergency.

Video Credits: No Comment TV/YouTube

The Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources in Russia is now demanding RUB 84.9 billion (about $1 billion) in compensation from the owners of the tankers.

Of the total Russian claim, about 60% is directed at Kama Shipping, the owner of the Volgoneft 212, while the rest is being sought from Volgatransneft CJSC, which owns the Volgoneft 239.

Ukraine, meanwhile, accused Russia of attempting to cover up the true scale of the spill and continues to insist that the tankers had no right to be in Ukrainian waters. Ukrainian officials maintain that the spill not only violated environmental laws but also contributed to long-term damage to marine life and coastal ecosystems.

In a separate incident in the summer of 2024, Ukraine seized the Cameroon-registered cargo ship Usko Mfu near the port of Reni on the Danube, accusing it of entering occupied Crimea and transporting grain stolen from Ukraine.

Courts ordered the ship to be seized, and by fall 2024, Ukrainian prosecutors had begun legal proceedings against the ship’s officers for entering the port of Sevastopol. More recently, in April 2025, Ukraine reported the seizure of another cargo ship, which it also accused of transporting looted grain from Crimea.

Reference: Ukrainska Pravda

Source: Maritime Shipping News