There have been concerns about fuel leaks from two Russian oil tankers in the Strait of Kerch of Mexico after they were damaged, causing serious damage to the local ecosystem. According to RIA Novosti, TASS news agency and other media reports, Russian President Putin held a video conference with Russian government officials on the 9th, asked to do everything possible to stop the oil spill tanker in distress.
Putin attends a video conference on May 9. Source: kremlin.com
TASS reported that Putin said at the meeting the same day that he had concluded from the information received that the authorities had not done enough to minimize the damage caused by the incident. “First they said everything would be done at the local level, then they said it should be done at the federal level, then they said it was necessary to declare it a federal emergency,” Putin added, there is a need to set up committees and headquarters to work on the ground.
Reported that Putin also said that in order to do everything possible to stop the oil leakage of the tankers, it is also necessary to develop plans to salvage the tankers.
According to earlier reports by”Russia Today” and other media, the 2024 of the Russian emergency situation ministry said on December 15 that due to strong winds and huge waves, two Russian oil tankers, Volga oil 212 and Volga oil 239, were damaged and ran aground in the Strait of Kerch of Mexico. A large oil spill followed in the accident area. On the same month 26th, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations decided to the above-mentioned fuel spill as a federal-level emergency. In January 2025, a Russian dolphin rescue group said the oil spill may have killed more than 30 cetaceans. Russia’s emergency ministry said this month it had collected and transported large amounts of contaminated sand off the coasts of both Krasnodar Krai.