Russian tanker splits in storm, spills oil in Kerch Strait waterway that connects Black Sea, Sea of Azov

A Russian oil tanker carrying thousands of tonnes of fuel oil split apart during a severe storm in the Kerch Strait on Sunday (December 15), spilling oil into the waters and leaving at least one crew member dead, officials said.

The Volgoneft 212, a 136-meter tanker with 15 people aboard, broke in half, with its bow sinking and waves washing over the deck, according to footage published by Russian state media. The ship, built in 1969, ran aground in the strait between mainland Russia and Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

A second tanker, the Volgoneft 239, sustained damage and was left drifting in the same area. It has a crew of 14 and was built in 1973, officials said. Both Russian-flagged vessels have a loading capacity of approximately 4,200 tonnes of oil products.

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“There was a spill of petroleum products,” Russia’s federal shipping agency, Rosmorrechflot, said in a statement, adding that the storm had caused the accident.

Search and rescue operations

Russia’s Emergency Ministry said more than 50 personnel and equipment, including Mi-8 helicopters and rescue tugboats, had been deployed to the area to assist.

The Kommersant newspaper reported that the Volgoneft 212 tanker was carrying about 4,300 tonnes of fuel oil when it broke apart. Official statements did not detail the extent of the spill or explain why the tanker sustained such significant damage.

Unverified video circulating on Telegram showed blackened water amid stormy seas and a partially submerged tanker.

Environmental concerns

The spill has raised concerns about environmental damage in the Kerch Strait, a critical waterway linking the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Russian authorities have yet to release an assessment of the spill’s impact.

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The incident adds to the risks associated with aging oil tankers in challenging weather conditions. Both vessels involved were more than 50 years old.

With inputs from agencies