Storm claims third Russian vessel near occupied Crimea as Greenpeace urges action over oil spill

Dec 15, 2024 - 17:00

A floating crane has become the third Russian vessel to sink off the occupied Crimean coast amid severe storm conditions on 15 December, Ukrainian Telegram channel Krymsky Veter reported.

As previously reported, two Russian ships sank near the Kerch Strait earlier today. Those were Volganeft tankers, carrying mazut cheap heavy oil fuel off the coast of Russian-occupied Crimea after being damaged by a sea storm, with one of 27 crew members dead and four missing.

Video footage shared by the channel shows the crane’s boom collapsing under powerful waves and gusty winds near the shoreline of occupied Yalta, with the ship appearing unstable amidst the stormy seas. The channel questioned why the vessel wasn’t moved to port despite storm warnings issued several days in advance.