International Maritime Organization blames Russia for negligence in Black Sea tanker disaster
Pravda Ukraine
Member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have accused Russia of negligence in the wreck of oil product tankers in the Black Sea. They called on Moscow to take all possible measures to prevent environmental damage from the disaster.
Source: a meeting of the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response, held in late January in the United Kingdom
One of the key topics of the session was the discussion of the fuel oil spill near the Kerch Strait, the Ukrainian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources reported.
For reference: The IMO is a specialised UN agency responsible for setting maritime safety standards, preventing pollution from ships, and promoting the efficiency of international shipping.
The Ukrainian side stated that the wreck of Russian tankers in the Black Sea had “widespread negative environmental consequences”, resulting in the deaths of over 700 seabirds and 61 dolphins due to direct exposure to toxic fuel oil.
Ukraine’s delegation also emphasised that these incidents constitute violations of international law by Russia.
During the meeting, representatives from Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway, Poland (on behalf of all EU member states and the European Commission), the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, and the United States voiced their support for Ukraine.
These countries condemned Russia’s military aggression and placed the blame for the Kerch Strait disaster on its negligence.
Quote: “The vessels involved were unfit for their purpose, and this environmental catastrophe could have been avoided had Russia properly followed the International Maritime Organization’s regulations and standards,” foreign representatives were quoted as saying by Ukraine’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources.
They also called on Russia to take immediate action to address the consequences of the tanker wreck and to ensure transparency and accountability in the clean-up process.
Background:
- At the end of 2024, two Russian tankers carrying oil products began sinking in the Kerch Strait. Both vessels split in half, releasing approximately 4,300 tonnes of fuel oil into the Black Sea.
- Greenpeace Ukraine condemned the incident, warning that Russia’s militarisation of the Black and Azov Seas is fuelling yet another environmental disaster.
- By early January 2025, oil slicks had reached Crimea’s coastline, stretching up to 15 kilometres in some areas. Soon after, the spill spread to the shores of the Azov Sea.
- In the following weeks, birds coated in thick oil were discovered in Ukraine’s Odesa Oblast, with at least one reported dead.
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