War in Ukraine: oil spill in a strait in Crimea, Moscow claims catches in the Donetsk region… update on the situation

Every day, Midi Libre takes stock of the situation in Ukraine. This Sunday, December 15, 2024, discover the latest news about this conflict

A Russian tanker breaks up and spills oil in the Kerch Strait

A Russian tanker carrying thousands of tons of petroleum products broke in two on Sunday due to a severe storm, spilling oil into the Kerch Strait, while another Russian tanker was also in distress after sustaining damage, Russian officials said.

The vessels were in the Kerch Strait, between mainland Russia and Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, when they sent out distress signals. Russian investigators have opened two criminal investigations to look into possible safety violations after at least one person was killed when the Volgoneft 212, a 136-meter-long tanker with 15 people on board, broke in two and its bow sank.

Footage released by state media showed waves crashing over the deck. The Russian-flagged ship, built in 1969, was damaged and had run aground, authorities said. An unverified video posted on Telegram showed blackened water in rough seas and a half-submerged tanker. A second Russian-flagged ship, the 132-meter Volgoneft 239, built in 1973, was adrift after sustaining damage, the Emergency Situations Ministry said. It has 14 crew members.

The Kerch Strait, which is crucial for Russian grain exports, is also used for crude oil, fuel oil and liquefied natural gas. In September, Ukraine accused Russia before an international court of violating maritime law by trying to keep the Kerch Strait under its exclusive control, a charge Moscow denies.

According to emergency services, one person died and 12 others were evacuated from the first tanker. Eleven of them were taken to hospital, two of them in serious condition, TASS news agency reported, citing Alexei Kuznetsov, an aide to the health minister.

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The Emergency Situations Ministry said it was still in contact with the other tanker and its crew after the vessel ran aground 80 meters from the coast near the port of Taman at the southern end of the Kerch Strait. The two tankers have a cargo capacity of about 4,200 tons of oil products.

Official statements did not provide details on the extent of the spill or why one of the tankers suffered such extensive damage. President Vladimir Putin ordered the government to set up a task force to manage the rescue operation and mitigate the spill's impact.

News agencies quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Putin had met with the emergency and environment ministers. Russia said more than 50 personnel and equipment, including Mi-8 helicopters and rescue tugs, had been deployed to the area. Svetlana Radionova, head of Rosprirodnadzor, Russia's natural resources watchdog, said specialists were assessing the damage at the site.

Moscow claims capture of two villages in Donetsk region

Russian forces have taken control of two villages in Ukraine's Donetsk region, Veselyi Hai and Pushkino, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

Russian forces also hit and destroyed four Patriot air defense systems, the ministry added. Reuters could not immediately verify the reports.

Ukraine says it destroys 56 Russian drones

Ukrainian air defenses have destroyed 56 of 108 drones launched by Russia in an attack overnight Saturday, the Ukrainian Air Force said. According to the military, 49 other drones were “lost”, probably due to electronic jamming. Debris from the destroyed drones damaged an unspecified piece of infrastructure, as well as residential buildings and homes, the military added.

Pope calls for peace for 'entire Middle East', Ukrainian, Russian people

Pope Francis on Sunday called for “peace” for “the entire Middle East” but also “for the Ukrainian people and the Russian people,” in a speech at the cathedral in Ajaccio on the Mediterranean island of Corsica.

“Peace for Palestine, for Israel, for Lebanon, for Syria, for the entire Middle East,” he said, assuring that “war is always a defeat.” “Peace to the whole world,” he concluded.