Thousands of tons of oil

Extent of the disaster unclear after tanker accident

Oil tanker accident in the Kerch Strait(Bild: AP/The Russian Southern Transport Prosecutor's Office)

Following the accident involving two Russian oil tankers - "Volgoneft 239" and "Volgoneft 212" - during a heavy storm in the Kerch Strait, the surviving crew members of both ships have now been brought ashore near Taman. However, the extent of the environmental disaster caused by the accident was still unclear on Monday.

The civil defense deployed helicopters to measure the size of the oil slick. Both tankers are said to have been carrying a total of 9000 tons of heating oil. At least one crew member of one of the tankers died in the accident on Sunday. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has ordered a command to be set up to clean up the environmental disaster.

Accidents involving identical ships within a short space of time
The national investigation authority is investigating the breach of safety regulations. Both accidents involving identical ships occurred within an hour and a half of each other on Sunday morning.

"Wolgoneft 212" torn in two
According to the authorities, the hull of the tanker "Wolgoneft 212" ruptured in stormy seas. Twelve crew members were rescued, one man died. The tanker "Volgoneft 239" in turn ran aground around 80 meters off the coast of Taman in the Russian region of Krasnodar. The oil slick is drifting between the Russian coast and the Crimean peninsula annexed by Moscow near the bridge there.

According to the report, the incident occurred in high waves between the Russian mainland and Crimea. The Kerch Strait connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. A storm warning was issued in Crimea, which is part of Ukraine under international law.

Serious environmental damage feared
Greenpeace warned of a new environmental disaster. The organization assumes that the leaking oil will be difficult to contain due to the current weather conditions. If it washes ashore, it would pollute the coast and be very difficult to clean up, the statement said. Above all, further leaks of fuel oil must be prevented.

Greenpeace recalled an oil spill in the region in 2007, which had serious consequences for the environment. A Russian tanker was also involved in the accident. Many Russian oil tankers are considered obsolete.