Two Russian tankers wrecked in Kerch Strait storm, spilling fuel oil

The Russian tankers Volgoneft 212 and Volgoneft 239 were badly damaged in a storm in the Kerch Strait on 15 December, each carrying about 4,000 tonnes of fuel, the Kyiv Independent reports. Around 3,700 tonnes of low-grade fuel oil have since spilled into the Black Sea, and Russia has declared a federal state of emergency to fund the response. Russian scientist Viktor Danilov-Danilyan said about 200,000 tonnes of soil on the coast had been contaminated. The Kyiv Independent says the disaster exposes weaknesses in Russia's ageing fleet used to get around sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine.

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