Russian Ship ‘Split in Half’ by Storms Near Crimea: Reports

A Russian oil tanker reportedly split in half and another sustained damage from powerful waves near Kerch in the Black Sea off the coast of Crimea on Sunday.

Russian authorities confirmed that there was a rescue operation for two vessels, one of which was carrying over 4,000 tons of fuel oil.

The Russian Emergencies Ministry for Crimea wrote on Telegram that it had dispatched an Mi-8 helicopter and a rescue tugboat to the area to assist the crew and investigate the possibility of an oil spill.

There were 13 people on board the Volgoneft 212 tanker, which was damaged and ran aground, and 14 people on a second ship, the Volgoneft 239, which was drifting after sustaining damage, the ministry said.

Newsweek has contacted Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry via email for comment.

Pro-Kyiv user Jürgen Nauditt posted to X a video of the incident on Sunday morning, writing “The waves cut the Russian tanker ‘Volgoneft-212’ in half near the coast of Kerch. It was carrying four tons [sic] of fuel oil. 15 crew members ended up at sea. The ship is sinking quickly. The water temperature in Kerch is currently 7.5°C.”

The video, which Newsweek has not independently verified, showed stormy seas and a half-submerged tanker.

Russian outlet SHOT posted a video on Telegram Sunday morning showing the hull of a vessel protruding from the water, writing “people have been on the decks for about four hours and are waiting for help. Eyewitnesses told us that powerful waves broke through the ships.”

According to Russian outlet Mash, the Volgoneft 212 was originally constructed as a conventional tanker, but was modified in the 1990s to meet river-to-sea standards, with its center section removed and the bow and stern welded together, creating a large seam.

This seam reportedly “parted” under the impact of the waves, leading to the tanker breaking in half.

Mash reported that operator Kama Shipping had experienced a similar incident in the past.

In 2007, its oil tanker Volgoneft 139 sank under nearly identical circumstances. It too was carrying 4,000 tons of oil when it split in half in the Kerch Strait, causing a huge oil spill.

The seas near Crimea are a critical battleground in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Kyiv has targeted Russia’s Black Sea Fleet throughout President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of the country, which began in February 2022. Ukraine has vowed to reverse the Russian leader’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, which now serves as Moscow’s central logistics hub for its forces in southern Ukraine.