Watch | Two Russian tankers sink in Black Sea spilling over 4,000 tonnes of oil

Two Russian tankers, carrying over 4,000 tonnes of oil products sunk in the Black Sea amid stormy weather conditions. 

The cargo ship Volgoneft-212 snapped split in half on Sunday after being hit by a large wave. The video of the incident showed that its bow end sticking vertically out of the water. 

According to the Russian media, the incident occurred off the east coast of occupied Crimea, 5 miles from the Kerch Strait. 

Around 4,300 tonnes of low-grade heavy fuel oil, mazut, was in the tanker. Russia's emergency service launched a rescue operation involving tugboats and a Mil Mi-8 helicopter. Thirteen crew members were onboard. 

Later, another vessel, Volgoneft-239, was caught in similar difficulty and reportedly sank. It was carrying 4 tonnes of fuel oil. 

Meanwhile, Dmytro Pletenchuk, Ukraine's navy spokesperson accused Russia of carelessness. “These are quite old Russian tankers. You can’t go to sea in such a storm. The Russians violated the operating rules. The result is an accident," he said. 

Experts feared huge ecological damage to the marine environment if tonnes of oil got spilt into the Black Sea. 

Registered in St Petersburg, the Volgoneft-212 was 55 years old and recently refitted. The centre was cut out and the stern and bow were welded together, forming a huge seam in the middle. 

The Black Sea has been a zone of intense military conflict since the start of Vladimir Putin’s 2022 full-scale invasion of the country.

Ukraine has used sea drones and other missiles to sink some of Russia’s Black Sea fleet. 

Since the Russia-Ukraine war, scientists have pointed out a rise in deaths among dolphins and porpoises. About 1,000 cetaceans were killed in 2022.