Ukrainian authorities launched an investigation against the captain of a Russian oil tanker accused of causing a major spill in the Kerch Strait by ignoring severe weather conditions while transiting.
According to investigators, the tanker carrying 4,000 tonnes of M-100 fuel oil from Volgograd to the port of Kavkaz was sailing through Ukraine’s territorial waters when the incident occurred. The vessel was under the command of the Captain who, as stated in the investigation, failed to consider the weather conditions in the Azov and Black Seas, as well as the Kerch Strait, contributing to the accident.
Local media outlets report that the pre-trial investigation is being handled by the Melitopol District Police Department in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, with operational support from the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police of Ukraine. The Office of the Prosecutor General has confirmed their involvement in overseeing the legal proceedings.
To remind, over the weekend of December 14–15, 2024, severe storms in the Kerch Strait damaged two aging Russian tankers. The Volgoneft 212 broke in half in the Kerch Strait on December 15, while the Volgoneft 239 ran aground near the port of Taman.
Together, the two vessels were transporting 9,200 metric tons of oil products, leading to a significant oil spill along the Russian Black Sea coast, one of the worst environmental incidents the region has faced in years.
Following the incident, Russian authorities deployed an emergency task force to the southern Krasnodar region to manage the ongoing oil spill and mitigate its effects in the area.
