The captain of the crashed tanker "Volgoneft-212" has been arrested.

Volegov is accused of violating safety regulations regarding maritime transport and operations. He has been placed in pre-trial detention until February 17, 2025.

Two tankers, "Volgoneft-212" and "Volgoneft-239," carrying fuel oil were wrecked in the Kerch Strait on Sunday, December 15, primarily due to a storm. The international environmental organization Greenpeace noted that if the oil products from the tankers—approximately eight thousand tons—spill, it could result in one of the largest technological disasters in the Black Sea.

As a result of the incident, around 3 thousand tons of fuel oil spilled into the waters of the Black Sea. Eleven crew members of the "Volgoneft-212" tanker were hospitalized for hypothermia, and one person died. The crew members of the "Volgoneft-239" were unharmed.

Experts indicate that the "Volgoneft" tankers typically operate on rivers and not during winter. "Waves reached three to four meters, which are dangerous for such vessels," explained Leonid Glushak, the regional chairman of the Russian Seafarers' Union. Criminal cases have been initiated regarding the tanker wrecks.