Captain in Custody

The captain of the cargo vessel Solong, which collided with a U.S. tanker in the North Sea, is a Russian national and remains in U.K. police custody, the ship’s owner confirmed on Wednesday.

The 59-year-old captain, whose name has not been disclosed, was arrested in northeast England on Tuesday on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence. However, authorities have not yet filed formal charges.

Crew and Ship Background

The Solong, a Portugal-flagged cargo vessel owned by the German shipping company Ernst Russ, had a crew of 14 members consisting of Russian and Filipino nationals.

Port inspection records reveal previous safety concerns. In July, the Solong failed a steering-related safety check in Dublin, Ireland, due to unreadable “emergency steering position communications/compass reading.” Inspectors identified 10 deficiencies, including inadequate alarms, improperly maintained survival craft, and non-compliant fire doors.

Another inspection in Scotland in October flagged two additional deficiencies, but the ship was not detained after either review.

Details of the Collision

The accident occurred on Monday when the Solong collided with the MV Stena Immaculate, a 183-meter (596-foot) tanker transporting jet fuel for the U.S. military. The collision sparked fires aboard both vessels.

One Solong crew member is missing and presumed dead, while the other 36 crew members from both ships were safely rescued without major injuries.

Ongoing Fire and Environmental Concerns

As of Wednesday, the Solong was still drifting and on fire, but officials believe it is unlikely to sink.

The Stena Immaculate was operating under the U.S. government’s Tanker Security Program, which contracts commercial vessels to transport fuel for military needs. The impact of the crash resulted in jet fuel spilling into the sea, raising concerns about environmental damage.

Environmentalists warn that the spill could threaten marine life, including whales, dolphins, and seabirds such as puffins, gannets, and guillemots that inhabit the coastal cliffs. Authorities are monitoring the situation closely to assess the extent of the damage and implement mitigation measures.

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A heavy storm in the Black Sea caused a devastating incident as two Russian oil tankers, the Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, were heavily damaged, leading to a significant oil spill. The tragic event left at least one crew member dead and has raised concerns over environmental and maritime safety.

Tankers Break Apart Amid Storm

Footage released by Russia’s Southern Transport Prosecutor’s Office revealed the catastrophic damage. One of the tankers was seen split in half and sinking, with large oil slicks spreading across the water. The second vessel reportedly drifted after sustaining severe structural damage.

The accident occurred in the Kerch Strait, a critical waterway that separates mainland Russia from Crimea, the Ukrainian territory annexed by Moscow in 2014.

Emergency Response Activated

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev to lead a working group to manage the crisis. Authorities have launched a rescue and clean-up operation involving tugboats, helicopters, and over 50 personnel.

Rosmorrechflot, Russia’s federal agency for sea and inland water transport, confirmed the details:

• A total of 29 crew members were aboard the two tankers—15 on one and 14 on the other.
• Both tankers had the capacity to carry around 4,200 tonnes of oil each.

While the full scale of the spill remains unclear, the incident has triggered fears of severe environmental damage in the region.

Past and Present Concerns

This is not the first major maritime disaster in the Kerch Strait. In 2007, another tanker, Volgoneft-139, split in half during a storm, spilling over 1,000 tonnes of oil into the sea.

The incident also underscores ongoing concerns about Russia’s use of older and poorly maintained tankers to navigate sanctions on its oil exports. Western allies of Ukraine have imposed heavy restrictions on Russian oil since the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. To bypass sanctions, Russia reportedly employs a “ghost fleet” of unregulated tankers that often lack proper maintenance and insurance, increasing the risk of such disasters.

Investigations Underway

Authorities are now investigating potential criminal negligence as the cause of the incident. With the Kerch Strait being a vital maritime passage and environmentally sensitive zone, the focus is on containing the damage and ensuring accountability.

This disaster adds to the mounting challenges of maritime safety in the region while highlighting the geopolitical and environmental risks tied to Russia’s oil transport practices.

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