Russian tanker breakdown in Kerch Strait triggers cleanup effort
Another Russian tanker has broken down in the Kerch Strait, reported Reuters, citing Russian media. This time, there was no oil spill. Volgoneft 212, Volgoneft 239, and Volgoneft 109 are old ships built in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
![Another Russian tanker broke down in the Kerch Strait [illustrative photo]](https://v.wpimg.pl/MzE2ZmNlYhskUCxeYRdvDmcIeAQnTmFYMBBgT2Faf0M9AW9ZYQokFiBAPx0hQioIMEI7Gj5CPRZqUyoEYRp8VSFbKR0iDTRVIF84CCpDKEx3VmsMK1hgG3RWb0B6CCkZaFBtX3pBdU9xVGlceAouHyEAeBA)
8:14 AM EST, December 18, 2024
Volgoneft 109, which broke down on Tuesday, was transporting 4,000 tons (approximately 4,400 short tons) of heating oil. The damage to the ship occurred in the Kerch Strait, where, on Sunday, two other tankers suffered breakdowns: Volgoneft 212 broke in half, and Volgoneft 239 ran aground.
As a result of Sunday's breakdown, fuel oil leaked into the sea. Russian media report that over 3,000 tons (approximately 3,300 short tons) of the substance could have entered the Kerch Strait, posing a significant environmental threat, even though the total amount of fuel transported on both damaged tankers on Sunday was about 9,000 tons (approximately 9,900 short tons).
On Tuesday, the independent portal Moscow Times reported that some oil-based pollution had settled on the coast of the Krasnodar Krai, near the resort of Anapa.
Removing fuel oil from beaches
The portal published photos showing cleanup crews removing fuel oil stains from the beaches. Petroleum products settled on dozens of kilometers (approximately 62 miles) of coastline, conveyed the governor of Krasnodar Krai, Veniamin Kondratyev, on Telegram.
Reuters and independent media reported that Volgoneft 212, Volgoneft 239, and Volgoneft 109 are old ships built in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
