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Tanker operator had expired license

Russia’s state environmental organization, Rosprirodnadzor, alleged in court that the operator of the tankers 'Volgoneft 212' and 'Volgoneft 239 ' that were lost in December 2024 had multiple violations. The latest accusations of expired licenses came as the environmental was is seeking further compensation and actions from the tanker operator to address the environmental impact of the dual casualties. The tankers were carrying approximately 9,200 metric tons of heavy fuel oil. The authorities estimated that half of the fuel was released in the two incidents, and days later, the 'Volgoneft 109' also reported a leak while it was in port. As part of the suit, the Russian authorities told the court that the captain of the 'Volgoneft 239' was operating the vessel with an expired license. The license was expired for several days prior to the vessel getting underway and encountering a winter storm in the Kerch Strait region. Russian authorities further said that the operator of the tankers, Volgoneft, was not certified to operate the vessels in open waters during the winter months. The company blamed heavy winter weather in the region for both of the casualties. Rosprirodnadzor was suing the tanker operator, giving him the responsibility to pay for the cleanup and salvage of the tankers. The bow section of 239 remains submerged, which led to a dispute over its conditions. The court reports said the bow section continues to leak oil, and the next efforts at recovery and sealing the leaks were not scheduled until October. The agency, however, quickly issued a denial saying that no current leaks were detected. It said, however, it remains the responsibility of the operator and acknowledged the potential environmental dangers from further leaks. Volgoneft has been suing to prevent the Russian authorities in the temporarily Russian occupied Crimea from taking over the salvage efforts as the tanker operator contended that it would lead to inflated costs. The Russian authorities wanted the remaining fuel pumped from the bow section of the vessel. They told the court that the Anapa region has spent more than 211 million rubles (approximately $2.7 million) on cleanup efforts. Nearly 200,000 metric tons of contaminated sand have been removed and over 310 miles of coastline have been cleaned. The city has sued the operator separately for its costs. The Ukraine has also said it would seek to prosecute for the damages it received from the drifting oil.

New fuel slick in Russian controlled Kerch Strait

A new fuel slick has been spotted on the surface in the Kerch Strait near the site where the 'Volgoneft 239' shipwrecked. On March 31,the ecologist Georgy Kavanosyan released a synthetic aperture radar image of the Kerch Strait, showing what appeared to be a long slick at the entrance to the strait. The site corresponds to the location of the bow section of the 'Volgoneft 239'. A second environmental scientist, Igor Shkradyuk, estimated that the leak was likely in the range of hundreds of liters per day ,and that it would likely continue through the warm months of the year as the fuel cargo heated up and seeped out. Government agencies were not telling what was happening with the spilled fuel oil. Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations said on April 4, that it continues to monitor the wreck sites daily, and it claimed that no additional fuel leaks from the tanker has been recorded. Russia's environment ministry (Rosprirodnadzor) has filed a new claim for compensation for damages against the owners of the 'Volgoneft 239' and 'Volgoneft 212'. The total claim comes to about 85 billion rubles ($1 billion), split between the Kama Shipping and Volgatransneft CFC. The two companies have one month to pay for the damages, after which the ministry will initiate a lawsuit.

Anapa suing shipping companies for $2.4 million after oil spill

The Russian summer resort town of Anapa, a popular holiday town of some 80,000 people, is suing two shipping companies for $2.4 million after an oil spill devastated its local beaches. The office of the town's mayor, Vasiliy Shvets, announced on March 10 that it was seeking 211 million rubles from Volgatransneft and Kama Shipping, citing clean-up costs from the companies which owned and operated the 'Volgoneft 212' and 'Volgoneft 239', which had carried 9,000 metric tons of low-grade fuel, more than half of which leaked into the Kerch Strait between Russia and the Russian occupied Crimean peninsula. Anapa was hard hit by the spill, which contaminated over 30 miles of beach. The cleanup involved 10,000 people shoveling and scooping blackened sand and polluted water. The spill drew international attention amid concerns that Russia's sanctioned energy industry is using a shadow fleet of commercial ships to ferry oil and gas to foreign customers. Many such vessels are aging tankers pulled back into service that often prove difficult to track, prompting fears of further spillage and a lack of mechanisms to contain the damage. The grey-area status of Russia's dark vessels also underscores concern that they might not be properly insured to cover oil spills, leaving communities hit by such disasters to shoulder cleaning costs For Anapa, the $2.4 million is an incomplete tally of the money already paid under contracts to deal with the spill. The amount is not final, and in the future, the administration intends to increase the claims. Municipal filings for the arbitration court of the Krasnodar region showed that Anapa submitted its lawsuit on March 7. Judge Irina Bondarenko is listed as overseeing the case. Testing the beaches for contamination, publishing footage of excavators and bulldozers cleaning up the seaside started on March 8. The long-term environmental impact of the spill remains to be seen. Greenpeace said the oil could sink to the bottom of the deep sea, poisoning fish and vegetation there. The impact of the ecological disaster could persist for decades.