VOLGONEFT-212

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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.

Ukraine prosecutes captain of lost tanker for polluting Ukrainian waters

The Prosecutor General of Ukraine has filed papers in court seeking to hold the Russian captain of the 'Volgoneft 212', who is responsible for the oil pollution resulting from the loss of the vessel in the Kerch Strait in the latest in a series of efforts launched by Ukraine attempting to prosecute mariners for their role in the incidents or for operating vessels transporting grain and other materials in the Russian-occupied regions. Ukraine is charging the captain with spilling 1,500 tons of fuel as part of a larger oil leak from the tanker in Ukrainian waters. Ukraine estimated the damages at $480 million in the court papers: “The suspect, contrary to the usual seafaring requirements, did not take into account the weather conditions in the waters of the Azov and Black Seas, as well as in the Kerch Strait, which led to the accident," the prosecutor charged. The vessel was transporting 4,000 tonnes of M-100 fuel from Volgograd to Kavkaz and was accused that the fuel was to be transferred to an ocean-going shadow fleet tanker. Ukraine reported that oil was drifting ashore at various points in the Black Sea prompting a large-scale cleanup in the winter after the incident. In the past, Ukraine has detained and sought to prosecute crews for entering the ports of occupied Crimea and transporting grain or other materials that it alleges were stolen from Ukraine. In the summer of 2024, they seized the cargo ship 'Usko Mfu', registered in Cameroon, near the port of Reni on the Danube. The courts ordered the vessel seized. In fall 2024, Ukraine reported it was prosecuting the ship’s officers for entering Sevastopol. In April 2025, Ukraine reported seizing another cargo vessel they accursed of looting grain from Crimea. In the current case, it is unclear if the prosecutor named a specific individual. Clearly, the captain would have been charged in absentia and it is unclear if they were also attempting to file charges against the owner of the Volgoneft tankers.

Russia's environment ministry filed a new claim for compensation for damages against Kama Shipping and Volgatransneft CFC

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.