On the morning of February 9, a tanker named Koala suffered explosions and may have partially sunk at Ust-Luga port, a key Russian Baltic port.
According to Russian sources, the vessel suffered an engine room explosion while preparing to depart. Three separate blasts were reported, prompting the 24 crew members to abandon ship and seek safety on the pier. The explosion flooded the engine room, causing the tanker to settle by the stern until it made contact with the bottom.
The authorities assure that the vessel is still at the berth, surrounded by a boom fence, and there is no risk of fuel oil leakage. On Sunday, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated that Finland is closely monitoring the situation and has activated its oil spill response resources as a precaution.
This explosion marks the second major casualty in Russia over the weekend, as the he Chinese bulk carrier An Yang 2 ran aground off Sakhalin in the Russian Far East.
