Specialists finish scrapping stern of grounded Volgoneft 239 tanker - Russian Transport Ministry

MOSCOW. March 7 (Interfax) - Specialists have completed the scrapping of the stern of the Volgoneft 239 tanker, which ran aground off Cape Panagia in the Temryuk district of the Krasnodar Territory, about a month after the operation began, the press service of the Russian Transport Ministry said.

"Specialists have completed efforts to scrap the stern of the vessel that ran aground near Cape Panagia. It took them a little over a month to fully dismantle the vessel," the press service said in a statement on Friday.

The first phase of the operation began on January 31 and was expected to last for two months.

"The final fragments of the tanker are being removed from the shore for re-melting. The Marine Rescue Service has already started a cleanup on the territory where the stern disposal operation took place," it said.

The Volgoneft 212 and Volgoneft 239 tankers carrying fuel oil wrecked in the Kerch Strait on December 15, 2024 causing a fuel leak. According to the Russian Transport Ministry, four tanks with petroleum products were damaged, and about 2,400 tonnes of fuel oil spilled into the sea.

The Krasnodar Territory, Crimea and Sevastopol declared an emergency.