Putin criticizes emergency response to Black Sea oil spill
Date
1/12/2025 12:45:45 AM
(MENAFN) During a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Russian Leader Vladimir Putin voiced dissatisfaction with the Emergency Situations Ministry's handling of an oil spill resulting from damage to two oil tankers in the Black Sea.
Calling the incident "one of the most serious environmental challenges" Russia has faced in recent years, Putin urged authorities to accelerate measures to mitigate the damage caused.
The incident occurred on December 15 when two Russian oil tankers encountered a storm south of the Kerch Strait. The Volgoneft-212 tanker, carrying approximately 4,900 tonnes of mazut, a low-grade heavy oil, broke apart and sank, resulting in a spill and the death of a crew member.
Meanwhile, the Volgoneft-239 sustained damage, drifting for hours before running aground near Taman Port in Krasnodar Krai and leaking oil.
Putin stressed the urgency of the situation, demanding a detailed update from Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov and directing immediate action to minimize the spill's environmental impact.
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