Russian officials have stated that a Russian oil tanker carrying thousands of tons of oil products broke apart in a storm on Sunday, December 15, leaking oil into the Kerch Strait, with another oil tanker also in distress after being damaged.
According to reports from Reuters, both vessels issued distress signals while navigating the Kerch Strait, located between the Russian mainland and Crimea.
Officials from the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said the first oil tanker split in half during the storm, with the bow sinking. There were a total of 15 people on board, resulting in one fatality and the evacuation of 12 others. Assistant Minister of Health Alexei Kuznetsov, cited by TASS news agency, stated that 11 individuals were taken to hospitals, with two in serious condition.
The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry also reported that another vessel flying the Russian flag was drifting in the Kerch Strait after sustaining damage, with 14 crew members on board.
Unverified videos circulated on the social media platform Telegram show blackened seawater amidst the raging storm, with the oil tanker partially submerged in the water.
The Kerch Strait is a crucial passage for Russian grain, oil, and liquefied natural gas exports.
Both damaged oil tankers have a capacity of approximately 4,200 tons of oil products. Russian officials have not provided detailed information on the extent of the oil spill, nor have they explained why one of the tankers suffered such severe damage.
Citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, various news agencies reported that President Putin, following meetings with the Emergency Situations Ministry and the Environmental Ministry, has ordered the establishment of a task force to manage rescue operations and mitigate the impacts of the fuel leak.