Storm-hit Russian petroleum tankers trigger fears of fuel spills in Black Sea

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A Russian tanker broke apart during a heavy storm in the Black Sea on Sunday, spilling some of its 4,300 tonne-cargo of fuel oil in what could potentially be one of the region’s largest environmental disasters in several years.

The Volgodonsk 212 carrier came apart about 8km from the shore and its prow sank during bad weather in the Kerch Strait, which separates the east coast of the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula from mainland Russia. At least one of its crew members was killed, according to emergency services.

Another carrier with a similar cargo, the Volgodonsk 239, ran aground after sustaining damage shortly afterwards, emergency services said. It came to a halt in shallow water 80-metres from shore near the port of Taman.

Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, ordered the cabinet to set up a working group to rescue the ships’ crews and deal with the consequences of the spill.

Emergency services evacuated 13 people from the Volgodonsk 212, 11 of whom were admitted to hospital with hypothermia, two of them in serious condition.

The crew were remaining on the second tanker as of Sunday evening owing to bad weather. Emergency services said the damaged ship had “everything essential for primary disaster relief” on board.

Officials told Russian newswire Interfax that they were investigating a possible error by the crew and storm damage as the reasons for the beaching.

The tankers were built in the early 1980s and designed to be mostly used on rivers, only venturing out into coastal waters during calm weather, according to Interfax.

Emergency services said a film typical of oil spills was becoming more visible on the waters around the Volgodonsk 212 but that they did not have exact data on how much of the cargo had been spilled.

Videos posted on social media app Telegram showed the ship breaking apart as waves rolled over its deck and water in the area turning black.

The Kerch Strait is a major conduit for Russia’s agricultural and energy exports, including grain sold from occupied Ukrainian territory after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Kyiv has accused Moscow of violating international law by claiming exclusive rights to the strait since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.