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Aging Russian tankers sink in Black Sea, spill oil

A Russian tanker broke apart and sank in the Black Sea during a storm, spilling thousands of tons of oil, while a second tanker ran aground nearby, raising concerns of environmental damage.

Luke Harding and agencies report for The Guardian.

In short:

The Volgoneft-212 tanker carrying 4,300 tonnes of heavy fuel oil broke in half off Crimea's coast amid severe weather.
One crew member died, while 12 others were rescued, and a second tanker, Volgoneft-239, carrying 4 tons of fuel oil ran aground.
Ukrainian officials blamed Russia for negligence, citing the tankers' age and the storm’s intensity.

Key quote:

“These are quite old Russian tankers. You can’t go to sea in such a storm.”

— Dmytro Pletenchuk, Ukraine navy spokesperson

Why this matters:

The oil spill threatens the Black Sea’s fragile marine life, already harmed by ongoing military conflict. Aging infrastructure and reckless operations pose long-term environmental risks in the region.

www.theguardian.com

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