Damages from fuel oil spill in the Kerch Strait reach almost a billion dollars
6.04.2025 - 14:41
The Russians caused significant environmental damage in the Black and Azov Seas as a result of the accident of two tankers in December 2024.
The fuel oil spill in the Kerch Strait, which occurred in December 2024 due to accidents on two Russian tankers, caused losses in the amount of almost a billion dollars. This is written by Gospodarka Morska.
Thus, the oil leak led to serious pollution of water and soil, as well as significant losses in the flora and fauna of the Black Sea.
Recall that on December 15, two Russian tankers were sinking in the Kerch Strait. The first tanker to crash was the Volgoneft-212, which was carrying 4 tons of oil. An hour later, the Volgoneft-239 was hit by a storm.
The cause of the accident was a strong storm. One of the tankers was cut almost in half by waves. As a result of the accidents, 4,300 tons of fuel oil and other petroleum products spilled into the sea.
In Russia, the cause of the disaster was the inability of captains and shipowners to adapt to the restrictions of winter shipping and the lack of qualified personnel among the ship crews.
However, both tankers — Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 — are outdated vessels built in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Because of this, they were in critical condition. The tankers transported petroleum products intended for the Russian Navy.
Earlier, USM wrote that Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are collecting evidence related to the pollution of the Black Sea with petroleum products. Then, experts from Ukraine, Japan and the Netherlands will assess the consequences of the fuel oil leak from Russian tankers.
