The Russian crew member of an oil tanker died during a severe storm in the Black Sea near the Crimean Peninsula. Tanker Volgoneft-212 split in half before sinking, spilling oil.
The 1969-built tanker carried approximately 4,300 tonnes of fuel oil. A second tanker, Volgoneft-239, was also damaged and left drifting.
The Russian authorities are investigating possible safety violations related to the incident.
As part of the rescue operation and to mitigate the environmental impact, more than 50 Russian government personnel, helicopters, and rescue tugboats have been deployed.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told news agencies that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the government to set up a working group to deal with the rescue operation.
