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This video clip has been distributed by Russian media and by, among others, a prosecutor’s office in southern Russia that is investigating the accidents.
1 / 2 Photo: Russian Authorities Via AP/TT
Two older Russian tankers ended up in sea distress on Sunday in the Kerch Strait off the annexed Crimean peninsula. Now Russia confirms oil spill.
One of the ships broke up and sank while the other ran aground. One person from the crew is reported to have died and 26 were rescued.
The Russian state-controlled news agency Tass has previously reported that the ships have a combined cargo of 9,200 tonnes of oil.
Now Russian authorities announce that oil has leaked and that work must begin to capture it. Russia does not say how big the oil leak is, but describes it as partial.
Ukrainian authorities, however, have called the leak too extensive and that it risks causing a major environmental disaster in the Black Sea.
The Kerch Strait lies between the annexed Crimean Peninsula and Russia. The strait separates the northern Black Sea from the Sea of Azov.
Since, among other things, the EU introduced a series of sanctions against Russia, the country has used a so-called shadow fleet of old tankers to transport oil to various places in the world.