Moscow [Russia], December 16: Two Russian tankers ran aground off the occupied Crimean Peninsula, the Russian civil protection agency reported on Sunday, with one crew member reported killed.
Two helicopters and two tugs were deployed to bring the crews to safety, the agency said.
According to eyewitness reports and a video circulating online, one of the tankers broke in half.
The Volgoneft-239 and Volgoneft-212 are identical river ships. According to the authorities, they were both carrying almost 4,500 tons of fuel oil, with 14 and 15 crew members on board respectively.
Authorities have since confirmed a large oil leak.
According to the reports, the incident occurred during heavy seas in the Kerch Strait between the Russian mainland and Crimea that links the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov.
"The operational headquarters is working. More than 50 specialists and 11 units of equipment are already involved in the response. Further information is being clarified," the country's ministry of emergency situations said in a statement.
The ministry added that the extent of a possible oil spill is being assessed.
A video circulating on unofficial Ukrainian and Russian Telegram channels appears to show a large cargo ship snapped in two, with water spilling over the edge of the top deck of the vessel as choppy waves rock it from side to side.
The bow of a ship, which can be seen in the background of the video, has broken off and appears just above the water line. Crew members can be seen wearing lifejackets as the camera spins around.
Crimean authorities had previously issued a storm warning. The public prosecutor is investigating the incident for possible infringement of safety regulations.
Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula was occupied by Russian forces in 2014 and has been formally annexed in a move not internationally recognized.
Ukraine has regularly targeted Russian infrastructure in or near Crimea, a territory it is seeking to recapture after it was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, but there is no suggestion that the incidents are conflict-related.
Source: Qatar Tribune