Two Russian tankers sink in Kerch Strait: fate of crew unknown

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On Sunday, 15 December, two Russian tankers, Volganeft-212 and Volganeft-239, each with 13 crew members, sank in the Kerch Strait.

According to Russian media reports, citing eyewitnesses, the accident occurred in the morning. Powerful waves broke the vessels in half. First, the tanker Volganeft-212, which was carrying more than 4 tonnes of fuel oil, was damaged, and an hour later a similar situation occurred with the tanker Volganeft-239.

The fate of the crew members has not been reported at this time. It is known that a storm warning was issued in the region at the time due to wind gusts reaching 22 m/s.

Rescue operations are ongoing, but the circumstances of the incident and the condition of the crews are not yet clear.