Two Russian tankers, carrying more than 4.000 tons of oil products, sank in the Black Sea during a storm, causing the threat of an environmental disaster, the Guardian reports.
The cargo ship Volgoneft-212 broke in half on Sunday after being hit by a large wave. The footage shows the bow of the ship sticking vertically out of the water. The incident took place near the eastern coast of the occupied Crimea, 8 kilometers from the Kerch Strait, according to Russian media.
The tanker was carrying 4.300 tons of low-grade heavy fuel known as fuel oil. Russian emergency services launched a rescue operation using tugboats and a Mi-8 helicopter. There were 13 crew members on board.
Not long after, another cargo ship, Volgoneft-239, found itself in trouble in the same area. It was carrying 4 tons of fuel oil and, according to reports, also sank. "Another ship is sinking. God, it's terrible!" exclaimed the sailor while filming from a nearby vessel.
Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of irresponsibility. Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said: "These are very old Russian tankers. You cannot go out to sea during such a storm. The Russians violated operational rules and the result was an accident."
Commentators warn that the spilled oil could cause serious ecological damage to the Black Sea's marine ecosystem, already threatened by the war.
Volgoneft-212 was 55 years old, registered in St. Petersburg, and recently overhauled. The center section of the ship was removed and the bow and stern were joined, creating a large seam in the middle. It was this part that reportedly gave way.
The crew watched helplessly as the ship disintegrated. Video footage shows men on the bridge wearing orange life jackets, while a black slick of oil floats on the surface next to the overturned bow. The waves were lapping at the damaged hull of the ship.
The accident involving dilapidated Russian ships is the latest in a series of maritime incidents near Ukraine's southern coast. The Black Sea has been a zone of intense military conflict since the start of Vladimir Putin's 2022 invasion.
Ukraine used naval drones and missiles to sink parts of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which was forced to leave the Crimean port of Sevastopol and move to the safer Russian port of Novorossiysk.
In June 2023, Russian troops blew up the Kahovka hydroelectric plant on the Dnieper River, in the occupied territory, to disrupt the Ukrainian military offensive. The explosion released 18 billion tons of water from the huge reservoir.
Flood waves swept away dozens of villages, and water contaminated with fuel, sewage and fertilizers flowed into the Black Sea. According to biologists, the pollution has destroyed shellfish and other crustaceans, as well as fish.
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