Two Russian oil tankers were severely damaged in the Black Sea, resulting in an oil spill and the death of at least one crew member, according to Russian authorities. Footage showed the bow of one tanker completely broken off, with oil visible in the water. Both tankers reportedly drifted before running aground offshore. The incident occurred in the Kerch Strait, a strategic waterway between Russia and Crimea, illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014. A rescue operation involving tugboats, helicopters, and over 50 personnel saved 13 crew members from one tanker before weather conditions forced its suspension. The 14 remaining crew members on the second tanker are said to have sufficient supplies but remain stranded. President Vladimir Putin has ordered Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev to head a working group to address the incident, which is under investigation for criminal negligence. The tankers, owned by the company Volgatanker, were relatively small, each carrying 4,300 dead weight tonnes of oil, likely for river or coastal transport. The Kerch Strait is vital for Russian exports, including grain, crude oil, and liquefied natural gas. The incident recalls a 2007 oil spill in the same area, where a tanker split during a storm, spilling over 1,000 tonnes of oil. While Russia has been accused of using poorly maintained “ghost fleets” to bypass sanctions on its oil exports, the tankers involved in this incident were not believed to be part of that fleet.
