Russia Begins Large-Scale Inspection Of Tankers After Kerch Strait Oil Spill

The Russian Ministry of Transport has started a large-scale inspection program for companies operating river-sea tanker fleets after the sinking of two tankers in the Kerch Strait in December 2024.

The inspections were ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who directed the Ministry of Transport to assess whether tanker companies and individual owners are following regulations.

The program will include the inspection of around 500 maritime and inland waterway transport firms that operate tanker vessels. The inspection is set to be completed by April 2025, before the start of the 2025 navigation season.

The Ministry of Transport also confirmed that it would conduct a full audit of the regulatory framework governing the transportation of oil and petroleum products by sea and inland waterways.

The inspection follows the tragic loss of two Russian oil tankers in the Kerch Strait on December 15, 2024. The tankers, the Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, were carrying a total …

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