MOSCOW, January 31. /TASS/. Sunken parts of oil tankers wrecked in the Kerch Strait may contain up to 3,900 metric tons of fuel oil, Deputy Head of the Russian Marine Rescue Service Alexander Naumenko said at a roundtable in the Russian Civic Chamber.
"According to estimates to date, up to 3,900 metric tons of fuel oil more may be in sunken parts of tankers. Several methods were discussed: pilot tests and refloating, the first one, pumping-out, the second one, and burial in concrete shelters, the third one. The governmental commission has not yet made the decision," Naumenko said.
All the options are being discussed and explored from the technical side and from the standpoint of costs, he noted. "The task is to eliminate all that as quickly as possible, so that there is no threat to life and health of the people," Naumenko added.
On December 15, 2024, the Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 tankers were caught in a storm in the Kerch Strait area in the Black Sea. The Volgoneft-212 subsequently sank while the other ship ran aground. One sailor died, and the rest were evacuated. According to emergency services, the tankers were carrying about 9,200 tons of fuel oil. An oil spill occurred in the Black Sea as a result of the accident, and clean-up operations are underway. According to the Russian Ministry of Transport, about 2,400 tons of oil has leaked into the Black Sea, much less than initially estimated.