A dramatic rescue operation to save the crew of two Russian oil tankers damaged in a storm in the Kerch Strait was successfully completed on Monday.
The operation had been delayed overnight due to adverse weather conditions, but all 14 crew members aboard the Volgoneft 239 were brought to safety after a concerted effort by Russian emergency services.
The two tankers, Volgoneft 239 and Volgoneft 212, were caught in a powerful storm on Sunday, leading to catastrophic damage. The Volgoneft 212 was split in half and sank, while the Volgoneft 239 suffered significant damage but remained afloat.
Tragically, one crew member aboard the Volgoneft 212 died of hypothermia, while 12 others were rescued earlier on Sunday.
Both tankers were transporting a combined total of approximately 8,600 metric tons of mazut, a low-grade fuel oil commonly used in power plants across the former Soviet Union.
The storm caused a spill of the hazardous material, raising concerns over environmental damage in the sensitive waters of the Kerch Strait, which separates the Black Sea from the Sea of Azov.
In a statement on Monday, Russia’s government confirmed that a “partial leakage” of the oil products had occurred, prompting the launch of a large-scale cleanup operation.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that the five remaining crew members of the Volgoneft 239 were rescued near the Krasnodar region village of Volna.
Less than an hour later, the ministry confirmed that all 14 crew members aboard the damaged tanker had been safely brought to shore, completing the rescue mission.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Alexander Kozlov, alongside Svetlana Radionova, the head of Russia’s environmental agency Rosprirodnadzor, traveled to the scene to assess the situation.
They were joined by teams from the Marine Rescue Service, who began measuring the scale of the oil spill.
In addition to this, Rosrybolovstvo, Russia’s fishing regulatory authority, announced that aerial surveillance would be conducted to gain a full understanding of the environmental impact.
Rosprirodnadzor emphasized that once the weather conditions improve and disaster relief efforts are concluded, an assessment of the damage to marine life in the area will be conducted.
The incident has raised alarm over the potential long-term environmental consequences, as the Kerch Strait is home to a variety of marine species and plays a key role in regional shipping.
Law enforcement authorities in Russia have launched a criminal investigation into the incident, with a focus on determining the cause of the storm’s devastating effects and the subsequent oil spill.
Investigators are also working to assess whether proper safety measures were in place on the tankers at the time of the storm.
The incident highlights the risks faced by the shipping industry, particularly in harsh weather conditions, and the potential for severe environmental damage caused by spills in sensitive ecosystems.
As rescue efforts conclude, attention now shifts to the environmental response and the long-term effects of the oil spill on local wildlife and the marine ecosystem.