3,700 tons of Russian oil leaked in the Kerch Strait…and these are the reasons

An estimated 3,700 tons of low-quality fuel oil leaked into the Kerch Strait after two Russian ships were severely damaged by stormy weather, Russian state media reported on Monday.
The two ships, Volgunft 239 and Volgunft 212, were transporting about 9,200 tons of mazut, a low-quality heavy oil product.

Oil spill accidents

Footage on social media from the scene showed a black liquid appearing among the waves.
Initial estimates indicate that about 3,700 tons of diesel leaked into the sea, according to the official Russian news agency RIA Novosti, citing a source.
Veniamin Kondratiev, leader of the nearby Russian Krasnodar region, said the oil had not yet reached the shore.

Emergency rescue operation

The Russian Emergencies Ministry explained that an emergency rescue operation was launched yesterday, Sunday, after the Volgunft 212 tanker ran aground and its front was torn apart due to the storm.
Officials said that one of the sailors’ crew, consisting of 13 people, was killed, and the storm also caused damage to a second tanker, Volgunft 239, with 14 crew members on board.

Continuing evaluation

The tanker later ran aground about 80 meters from the shore, near the port of Taman in the Russian Krasnodar region.
The sailors were later rescued, and experts are still working to assess the full impact and extent of the spill.
The Kerch Strait separates the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula from Russia and is an important global shipping route, linking the Sea of ​​Azov and the Black Sea.