In a subsequent report, TASS described the injury to the Volgoneft 212 as catastrophic: “Within the situations of the storm, the bow of the tanker was torn off.” 

Unverified footage on Telegram additionally seems to point out one of many vessels damaged in half, with streaks of oil seen on the floor of the water. The incident occurred within the early hours of Sunday within the Kerch Strait waterway separating annexed Crimea and mainland Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a working group to be set as much as “arrange rescue operations and cleanup works after the oil spill,” his press secretary Dmitry Peskov stated.

Two rescue tugboats and two helicopters have been dispatched. The Russian emergencies ministry stated one crew member had died.

Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson for the Ukraine navy, accused Russia of violating maritime working guidelines. “These are fairly outdated Russian tankers. You may’t go to sea in such a storm,” Pletenchuk stated. “The Russians violated the working guidelines. The result’s an accident.”

Each vessels have a loading capability of about 4,200 metric tons of oil merchandise, in accordance with Reuters.

This story has been up to date.