Russia Two oil tankers crash - Moscow struggles with the consequences
Following the accident involving two Russian oil tankers during a heavy storm in the Kerch Strait, the authorities say that the crew of the second ship is also safe.
16.12.2024, 13:16
SDA
The government in Moscow announced that 14 crew members of the "Volganeft 239" had been brought ashore in the southern Russian region of Taman. Following the oil leak, the extent of the environmental disaster is still unclear. The civil defense deployed helicopters to measure the size of the oil slick. Both tankers are said to have been carrying a total of 9000 tons of fuel oil. At least one crew member of one of the tankers was killed in the accident on Sunday.
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has ordered a task force to be set up to clean up the environmental disaster. The national investigation authority is investigating the breach of safety regulations. Both accidents involving identical ships occurred within an hour and a half of each other on Sunday morning.
According to the authorities, the tanker "Wolgoneft 212" suffered a crack in the hull in stormy seas. Twelve crew members were rescued, one man died. The tanker "Volgoneft 239" in turn ran aground around 80 meters off the coast of Taman in the Russian region of Krasnodar. The oil slick is drifting between the Russian coast and the Crimean peninsula annexed by Moscow near the bridge there.
Greenpeace in Ukraine fears environmental damage
According to the report, the incident occurred in high waves between the Russian mainland and Crimea. The Kerch Strait connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. A storm warning was issued in Crimea, which is part of Ukraine under international law.
The Ukrainian office of the environmental organization Greenpeace warned of a new environmental disaster. The organization assumes that the leaking oil will be difficult to contain due to the current weather conditions. If it washes ashore, it would pollute the coast and be very difficult to clean up, according to the statement. Above all, further leaks of fuel oil must be prevented. Greenpeace recalled an oil spill in the region in 2007, which had serious consequences for the environment. A Russian tanker was also involved in the accident. Many Russian oil tankers are considered obsolete.
