Latest news with #Volgoneft-212
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Euronews
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Russia continues December's Kerch Strait oil spill clean-up from two storm-stricken Russian tank
ADVERTISEMENT Russia is continuing its extensive clean-up operation in the Black Sea's Kerch Strait, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, following the oil spill caused by two storm-stricken Russian tankers last December. The spill, which released at least 3,700 tonnes of fuel oil, occurred in mid-December. The Kerch Strait, which separates the Russian-occupied Crimea Peninsula from mainland Russia, is a vital global shipping route, linking the inland Sea of Azov to the Black Sea. It has also become a significant point of conflict between Russia and Ukraine since Moscow annexed the peninsula in 2014. The incident occurred when the Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 oil tankers were caught in a storm, breaking one in half and sinking, killing one crew member, while the other ran aground and began leaking oil. The Ministry of Emergency Situations reports that over 418.7 kilometres of coastline have been cleared, and more than 154,300 tonnes of contaminated sand and soil have been removed. An estimated €913 million has been spent on the ongoing clean-up effort, according to the Russian government environmental watchdog Rospotrebnadzor. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the oil spill an 'ecological disaster." Meanwhile, Viktor Danilov-Danilyan, a senior Russian scientist, described the spill to Russian media as one of the country's worst "environmental catastrophes" of the 21st century. In December, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Head of the Office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, described the oil spill as a 'large-scale environmental disaster' and called for additional sanctions on Russian tankers.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Russian region declares state of emergency following new developments in oil spill: 'Weather dictates its own conditions'
Oil spilled from two wrecked tankers has reached the shores of the southern Krasnodar region in Russia. Governor Veniamin Kondratiev declared a regionwide emergency to deal with the pollution appearing in the Anapa and Temryuk districts, according to Reuters. "Initially, according to the calculations of scientists and specialists, the main mass of fuel oil should have remained at the bottom of the Black Sea, which would have allowed it to be collected in the water," Kondratiev posted via Telegram, per Reuters. "But the weather dictates its own conditions, the air warms up, and oil products rise to the top. As a result, they are being carried to our beaches." Two Russian oil tankers were damaged because of storm conditions in the Kerch Strait, off the eastern coast of the Crimean peninsula. The bow of one broke off, and the other was beached nearby. Experts suggested that the Soviet-era vessels were too old to be in service and otherwise were unfit for stormy weather. Approximately 9,200 tons of oil product was being carried in the two ships, with an estimated 3,700 tons being spilled, according to the Associated Press. One sailor aboard the Volgoneft-212 died because of the incident. Marine oil spills are disastrous for local wildlife, which in turn works its way through the food chain to humans. A study has shown that an improperly cleaned spill produces an increased risk of toxic exposure to humans long afterward. In the immediate aftermath, communities can be cut off from their only source of drinking water. The biodiversity risks are staggering. Coastal birds and coral ecosystems are directly in the line of fire when it comes to oil spills at sea. Over 10,000 people have been helping to clean up the Krasnodar spill, per Reuters, but the effects are ongoing. The majority of the 2,400 tons spilled by the Volgoneft-239 is reported to have been contained, per Russian news agency Tass. According to Reuters, it's likely that these ships were operating without adhering to maritime standards. Do you worry about air pollution in your town? All the time Often Only sometimes Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. If these standards were more stringently enforced, costly disasters can be avoided. Both captains were charged with crimes, according to a Russian media source (viewed in translation). Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
