A Russian oil tanker carrying thousands of tonnes of oil products split apart during a heavy storm on Sunday, spilling oil into the Kerch Strait, while another 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 issued distress signals. The Russian-flagged vessel, built in 1969, was damaged and had run aground, officials said. Unverified video posted on Telegram showed some blackened water on stormy seas and a half-submerged tanker.
