Written by: Ahmed Abdel Salam
More than 13,500 birds have died as a result of the wreck of two oil tankers off the coasts of Russia, including more than 1,000 birds belonging to endangered species, according to Krasnodar Commercial Court records relied upon by environmental lawyer Natalia Lisetsina.
Disaster Details
The tankers "Volgoneft-212" and "Volgoneft-239" wrecked during a storm in the Kerch Strait on December 15, 2024, leading to the leakage of approximately 2,646 tons of fuel oil (2,400 metric tons) into the sea, according to Russian Ministry of Transport figures reported by "The Insider" website.
Red-breasted mergansers accounted for the largest share of the victims with about 10,300 birds, equivalent to more than 75% of the total recorded deaths. The deceased birds also included nine endangered species totaling 1,022 birds.
Judicial Rulings and Compensations
The court issued a ruling obligating "Volgatransneft", "Kamatransoil", and "Kama Shipping" to pay combined compensations amounting to approximately 34.25 billion Russian rubles (about 423 million dollars) for environmental damage and losses incurred by the regional budget.
The ruling came after the court upheld on October 15 a lawsuit filed by the Regional Ministry of Natural Resources. The value of the damage to the habitats of protected species at the regional level amounted to approximately 34.12 billion rubles (421 million dollars), and the ruling also included fishing resources and soil in the Solonee Lake Nature Reserve.
Total compensation exceeds 1.47 billion dollars
Rulings in three separate cases showed that the total compensation for damage to the aquatic environment of the Black Sea reached 119.2 billion rubles (1.47 billion dollars).
The court ordered "Volgatransneft", as the owner of "Volgoneft-239", to pay 35.48 billion rubles (438 million dollars), while "Kamatransoil" and "Kama Shipping" share the payment of 49.46 billion rubles (611 million dollars) for the tanker "Volgoneft-212".
Violations and Investigations
"The Insider" investigations revealed that the two tankers were operating after exceeding their authorized operational age, and that the documentation for one of the vessels was suspended. It was also revealed that "Rosneft" was the owner of the fuel oil and was responsible for its shipment and receipt, yet it was not among the defendants in the main environmental compensation lawsuits.
In March, the Krasnodar Regional Court rejected "Volgatransneft's" appeal against the damage calculation methodology, deeming it legal.
Implementation Difficulties and Ongoing Pollution
The process of implementing the rulings faced significant obstacles, as two companies entered bankruptcy proceedings, and bailiffs repeatedly closed enforcement cases due to the debtors not possessing assets.
In September 2026, satellite imagery showed oil slicks remaining near parts of the two sunken tankers, despite assurances from Russian authorities that the fuel oil cargo had been fully pumped out.
