"Violated every possible rule": the Ukrainian Navy explained why Russian tankers sank near the Kerch Strait.

The disaster of two Russian tankers near the Kerch Strait on December 15 occurred not so much because of the storm, but due to the negligence of the Russians. They violated every possible safety regulation for navigation, leading to a large-scale accident.

This was stated by the spokesperson for the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine) Dmitry Pletenchuk during a broadcast on the "Kyiv 24" channel. He explained that these tankers were designed as vessels for river transport.

"These vessels are essentially riverboats. Their purpose is to transport this fuel oil and petroleum products from the Volga and transfer them to other ships somewhere at sea. They can theoretically go to sea, but under different conditions", he clarified.

On December 15, the weather conditions in the Kerch Strait were very unfavorable. The wave height and wind speed in the area around Kerch significantly exceeded the regulatory standards established for both tankers of this type. Moreover, the vessels were built during the Soviet era over 50 years ago and should have been decommissioned long ago. Therefore, it is not surprising that two old rusty tankers broke apart and sank after encountering the storm.

"They basically violated everything they could", Pletenchuk concluded.

Recall that on December 15, two Russian tankers, "Volgoneft-212" and "Volgoneft-239," sank eight kilometers off the coast near the Kerch Strait. There were 27 crew members on board, most of whom were rescued. Over 8000 tons of fuel oil leaked into the sea from both ships, turning the accident into a large-scale environmental disaster.