Russia Takes Legal Action Against Tanker Owners After Black Sea Oil Spill Disaster

Screengrab from YouTube video posted by 10 News First
The owners of two aging tankers that broke apart and sank in the Black Sea in December are now facing multiple lawsuits. A massive clean up effort was launched after the incident and the Russian authorities now seek to recover the costs of the oil spill cleanup.

The vessels, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, built during the Soviet era were not designed to withstand harsh open-sea conditions. Their sinking has been described as one of Russia’s worst environmental disasters in decades.

The Volgoneft-212 tanker broke into two and sank about five nautical miles from the Kerch Strait during a severe storm on December 15, 2024.

Russian meteorological agencies had warned of waves exceeding 25 feet, but the 50-year-old vessel could not withstand the conditions.

It was carrying 4,300 tonnes of mazut, a low-quality residual fuel oil. Shortly after, the Volgoneft-239 also broke up and ran aground near Taman, spilling a similar load of mazut into the sea.

The oil spill spread quickly, contaminating beaches along Russia’s Krasnodar region and Crimea. Environmental experts estimate that 2,400 tonnes of oil products leaked into the Black Sea, leading to a federal state of emergency on December 26.

The disaster killed marine wildlife and seabirds, with 150,000 metric tons of contaminated sand removed from affected beaches.

Video Credits: 10 News First/YouTube

In response to the environmental damage, multiple lawsuits have been filed against the shipowners, Volgatransneft CJSC and Kama Shipping LLC.

The Russian salvage agency Morspasluzhba (Morspas) is suing Volgatransneft to recover the full cost of the cleanup. The case is being heard in Krasnodar’s arbitration court, with hearings set to begin in early April.

Volgatransneft had requested the case be transferred to a Moscow court, but the request was denied. Meanwhile, the city of Anapa has also