Government Concludes Investigation into Tanker Collision in the Kerch Strait

In Moscow, a weekly meeting of the government commission coordinating efforts to mitigate the consequences of the tanker collision in the Kerch Strait took place. The meeting was chaired by Alexander Kurenkov, the First Deputy Chairman of the commission and head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM).

At the meeting, Alexander Kurenkov stated that EMERCOM continues to monitor the situation in the emergency zone on a daily basis and will maintain control until all the consequences of the accident are fully resolved. The situation in the area where the ship fragments lie remains stable, with no observed leaks of fuel oil from the tanks.

Kurenkov noted that the sunken sections of the tankers are being continuously inspected by divers, while remotely operated vehicles monitor the seabed within a kilometer from the coast. In addition, satellite monitoring, drones, and patrol rescue teams on boats are employed to control the situation in the water.

Minister of Transport Roman Starovoit announced that the investigation into the causes of the tanker collision in the Kerch Strait had been completed. Two commissions from Rostransnadzor, involving experts from the Ministry of Transport and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, finished investigating the incidents involving the tankers “Volgoneft-212” and “Volgoneft-239.” According to the commissions’ conclusions, the primary reasons for the accidents were the failure of the ship captains and owners to adhere to seasonal navigation restrictions in the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait, as well as the crews not being staffed with properly qualified personnel as required by Russian transport regulations. The investigation materials will be forwarded to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.

Following the investigation, Rostransnadzor has also formulated several proposals for organizational and legal measures to prevent such accidents in the future. One recommendation is to introduce preventative monitoring to ensure that ships comply with restrictions regarding navigation seasons, areas, and inspection periods.

Additionally, the Federal Service for Environmental, Technological, and Nuclear Supervision conducted an environmental damage assessment caused by the tanker collision in the Black Sea. According to Svetlana Radionova, Head of Rosprirodnadzor, the total claims made against the polluting companies amount to 84 billions of rubles. The damage attributed to the owner of tanker “Volgoneft-212” (LLC “Kama Shipping”) is estimated at 49 billions of rubles, while the damage attributed to ZAO “Volgatransneft,” owner of tanker “Volgoneft-239,” is 35 billions of rubles. The companies have one month to voluntarily compensate for the damage; otherwise, legal action will be initiated.