Ukrainian Navy on Black Sea oil spill: Russia using technical fleet without oversight
Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said this on Ukrainian television, Ukrinform reports.
According to Pletenchuk, Russia actively uses auxiliary vessels for oil transshipment, including river-sea class tankers that are obsolete and in poor technical condition.
"They are using a technical fleet without any proper oversight. […] And, of course, the condition of these vessels […] does not meet any standards," the spokesperson said.
He added that basic operational rules for such vessels are often violated. Pletenchuk noted that similar tankers have previously been involved in accidents after heading out to sea during storms, which goes against their operating limits.
"I wouldn't be surprised if the Russians have repeated this 'feat' yet again, because for them the main thing is to sell oil. What happens afterward does not concern anyone," he said.
At the same time, he noted that in such cases the Russian side typically tries to shift responsibility onto Ukraine, accusing it of attacking tankers.
On April 11, the operational headquarters of Russia's Krasnodar region said an oil slick had been discovered in the Black Sea, about 11 kilometers off the coast of Anapa, while oil-contaminated birds and sand have again been found along the shoreline. Russian authorities suggest the spill may have been caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on vessels in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
Illustrative photo: E-Krym
