Damage amounting to US$480 million: Ukraine's Prosecutor's Office serves notice of suspicion on captain of Russian tanker
The captain of a Russian tanker has been charged with polluting Ukrainian waters, which has caused serious consequences.
Source: Office of the Prosecutor General
Details: In December 2024, 1,500 tonnes of fuel oil spilt into Ukraine's internal and territorial waters due to damage to a Russian tanker. This led to pollution of the Black Sea and caused damage to its living resources. The state's losses are estimated at over 20 billion hryvnias (US$480 million), the Office of the Prosecutor General reports.
The investigation shows that the Russian oil tanker, captained by a citizen of the Russian Federation, was sailing through the territorial waters of Ukraine, transporting 4,000 tonnes of M-100 fuel oil from Volgograd to the port of Kavkaz.
"The suspect, contrary to the usual seafaring requirements, did not take into account the weather conditions in the waters of the Azov and Black Seas, as well as in the Kerch Strait, which led to the accident," the statement said.
The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings is being conducted by investigators of the Melitopol District Police Department of the National Police in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, with operational support from the Strategic Investigations Department in Zaporizhzhia Oblast of the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police of Ukraine, the Office of the Prosecutor General added.
Background:
Earlier, it was reported that in December last year, a Russian tanker broke in half during a severe storm in the Black Sea, spilling 4,300 tonnes of fuel oil. Another tanker with a similar cargo, the Volgodonsk 239, ran aground shortly afterwards after sustaining damage.
This happened in the Kerch Strait. It was noted that it is an important route for the export of Russian agricultural and energy products, in particular grain from the occupied territories of Ukraine, which Russia has been selling since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
It was also reported at the time that the tanker Volgoneft-212 was carrying fuel oil intended for loading onto the sea tanker FIRN, which is part of the Russian shadow fleet.
Earlier, it was reported that a foreign vessel was detained as a result of a special operation by the Security Service of Ukraine and the State Border Service in the Black Sea. This vessel was illegally transporting Ukrainian agricultural products stolen from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine to third countries. At the end of 2024, this dry cargo ship transported 5,000 tonnes of wheat from the port of Sevastopol, which had been stolen from the temporarily occupied territory of the south of Ukraine.
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