Kerch Strait ship crash: Russia violates maritime rules to prioritize oil transport

This was reported by Dmytro Pletenchuk, the spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy, on Suspilne Studio.

“The weather conditions at that time were unsuitable for them to be at sea... As usual, the Russians ignored all safety requirements,” he said.

The spokesman explained that Volgoneft 212 and Volgoneft 239 are military-grade ships over 50 years old. The Russians sent them out to sea without meeting shipping standards, and the vessels could have stayed idle longer than planned.

"But, of course, transferring Russian oil and other fuels is more important to them than following the safety rules for civilian shipping," Pletenchuk stressed.

He pointed out that this is not the only case of Russian violations. Specifically, it involves ignoring coastal warning requirements and constantly turning off identification systems. Pletenchuk explained that one of the tankers that sank in the Kerch Strait also regularly switched off this system.

At the same time, the Kerch Strait has been officially closed to civilian shipping by Ukraine for over a year, but Russia continues to ignore this.

• On Sunday, December 15, two Russian oil tankers carrying mazut, a low-quality heavy fuel oil, were sinking in the Kerch Strait in the Black Sea.