Two Russian tankers sink near Kerch: What is known
Photo: two Russian tankers sink near Kerch (wikipedia.org)
Two Russian tankers, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, have sunk in the Kerch Strait due to a severe storm, according to Russian media.
Reports suggest that powerful waves breached the vessels, with one of the tankers nearly split in half. The first incident involved the tanker Volgoneft-212, which was carrying 4 tons of oil. An hour later, the storm struck Volgoneft-239.
One vessel has 13 crew members on board, while the other carries 14.
Russian media report that the crews have been stranded on the decks for approximately four hours, awaiting rescue.
A rescue boat has been dispatched to Volgoneft-239, and a Mi-8 helicopter is en route to assist the damaged Russian tankers.
It is worth noting that this is the second time a cargo ship operated by Kama Shipping has sunk due to a hull breach. The previous incident involved the tanker Volgoneft-139, which sank within minutes. In both cases, waves struck the hull, causing critical damage.
This is not the first non-combat-related loss of a vessel by Russia this year.
In March, the trawler Captain Lobanov caught fire and later sank. Reports at the time indicated that one person died and two others went missing as a result of the incident.
