INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A third Russian-flagged tanker has issued a call for help two days after a storm terribly harmed 2 other vessels and triggered a significant
oil spill, the Interfax news agencyreported Tuesday, pointing out authorities and emergency situation services.The Volgoneft 109 tanker was
anchored in the waters of Port Kavkaz in the Kerch Strait when its captain reported a damaged freight tank, federal shipping firm
The Kerch Strait connects the Black and Azov seas, along with annexed Crimea and mainland Russia.The water tightness of the hull itself is
not compromised, there is no leak into the sea, Interfax estimated a Rosmorrechflot spokesperson as saying.Volgoneft 109 was bring fuel oil
known as mazut when it provided the call for help due to a fracture on board, an emergency situation source was estimated as saying.The
press service of the Krasnodar area branch of Russias Emergency Situations Ministry said the event with Volgoneft 109 was not
critical.Volgoneft 109 iscarryingsome 4,000 metric tons of fuel oil and has 14 team members, according to the Baza Telegram news channel,
which is believed to have ties to Russian police
Baza stated the ship provided a distress signal shortly after midnight Tuesday.On Sunday, a storm ripped the Volgoneft 212 tanker in half
and ran Volgoneft 239 aground in the Kerch Strait, spilling an approximated 3,000 metric tons of oil products that washed up on the Black
Sea coast by Tuesday morning
Greenpeace Ukraine alerted of an environmental catastrophe.The spillage encompassed more than 23 kilometers across the resort of Anapa,
regional emergency situation chief Sergei Shtrikovsaid.Anapa and two other Krasnodar region towns stated a state of emergency situation due
to the oil spill.One team member ofVolgoneft 212 was killed and 26 others were rescued from both tankers after Sundays storm
Media reported that the vessels were more than 50 years old.A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are dealing with extraordinary
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