Rostransnadzor to conduct inspections of enterprises in Azov-Black Sea basin following tankers' destruction in Dec

MOSCOW. March 26 (Interfax) - The Federal Service for Supervision of Transport (Rostransnadzor) will carry out unscheduled inspections of water transport facilities in the Azov-Black Sea basin due to the spill of petroleum products after tankers were destroyed in the Kerch Strait, the Transport Ministry said on its Telegram channel.

The focus will be on loading and unloading operations involving hazardous cargo.

The main goal of the inspections is to prevent similar pollution of the sea by identifying and eliminating violations in advance, the ministry said. Compliance with legislation in the region's ports will also be monitored.

"Special attention will be paid to compliance with requirements for loading and unloading operations involving hazardous cargo, as well as an assessment of vessels, berths and underwater pipelines together with the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping," it said.

As reported, on December 15, 2024, the fuel tankers Volgoneft 212 and Volgoneft 239 were destroyed in the Kerch Strait, resulting in a fuel spill. Four tanks with petroleum products were damaged during the incident, and around 2,400 tonnes of fuel oil entered the sea, the Transport Ministry said.