MOSCOW (AP) – Two Russian oil tankers suffered heavy damage during a storm in the Kerch Strait, spilling oil and prompting an emergency rescue operation, Russian officials told state news agency on Sunday.
The tanker Volgoneft-212, which was carrying a crew of 13 and a load of heating oil, ran aground and had its bow torn off, Russian state news agency TASS said, citing the country’s Emergency Situations Ministry. Adverse weather conditions caused the damage, authorities said.
A second tanker, the Volgoneft 239, was also damaged in the storm and remained adrift in the same area with 14 crew members on board, the Emergencies Ministry said.
The Kerch Strait separates the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula from Russia and is an important global shipping route that provides passage from the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.
It was also a key point of conflict between Russia and Ukraine after Moscow annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. In 2016, Ukraine took Moscow to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, accusing Russia of attempting to illegally take control of the area. In 2021, Russia closed the strait for several months.