Russia launches a rescue operation after a storm damages 2 oil tankers in the Kerch Strait

Russian officials say two oil tankers have taken heavy damage during a storm in the Kerch Strait, spilling oil and sparking an emergency rescue operation. The Volgoneft-212 tanker, which was carrying a crew of 13 and a cargo of fuel oil, ran aground and had its bow torn away, said Russian state news agency TASS, citing the country’s Emergency Situations Ministry. A second tanker, the Volgoneft 239, was also damaged in the storm and left drifting in the same area. The Kerch Strait separates the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula from Russia and The Kerch Strait is an important global shipping route, providing passage from the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.