VOLGONEFT-239
Die letzten Häfen
Die letzten Wegpunkte
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Russian Governement announced completion of fuel oil pumping despite oil films still emerging at wrecks
The Russian Government has completed the fuel oil pumping from the submerged sections of the 'Volgoneft 212' and 'Volgoneft 239' in the Kerch Strait. The government said on Sep 25, 2026, that a commission comprising representatives of environmental regulator Rosprirodnadzor, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and the Russian Marine Rescue Service had verified the work. The submerged sections were be raised by authorised services and agencies in the normal course of their work, while there was no date for the operation. The government first reported pumping complete on Aug 21, when it said monitoring of the Black Sea and nearby coastline was continuing. The September statement said the affected shoreline and waters along Krasnodar Territory, Crimea, and Sevastopol had been cleaned and reported the disposal and reuse of more than 185,000 tonnes of contaminated sand and soil. Clean sand has been spread on affected beaches in Anapa. Satellite imagery obtained on Aug 26 showed oil films near the submerged stern of the 'Volgoneft 212' and the bow of the 'Volgoneft 239', suggesting the images might indicate continued leakage after pumping. The Marine Rescue Service confirmed a pollution of unknown origin in a radar image on Sep 16 near the wrecks. Monitoring analysts identified slicks in at least nine images taken between Aug 11 and Sep 16. On Sep 23, the ecologist Georgy Kavanoyan stated that satellite images from several September dates showed slick-like marks extending from the cofferdams around the wreck sections. The tankers were wrecked in the Kerch Strait on Dec 15, 2024, killing one crewmember. The vessels were carrying about 9,200 tonnes of fuel oil at that time. The Russian Transport Ministry had estimated that about 2,400 tonnes of petroleum products spilled into the sea. Additional slicks and a reported leak from the stern of the 'Volgoneft 239' were recorded during the early response. Report with photo: https://www.bairdmaritime.com/security/emergency-services/pollution-control/volgoneft-wrecks-fuel-oil-pumping
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.
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