Captain of Black Sea Oil Tanker Operated Without Certification During Major Spill

Russian transportation authorities announced on Wednesday that the captain of one of the two oil tankers implicated in a significant spill in the Black Sea last year did not possess a valid certification during the incident.

This information emerged during a court session where the regional division of the state environmental agency, Rosprirodnadzor, is pursuing legal action against Volgatransneft, the owner of the tankers. The spill, which occurred on December 15, polluted beaches throughout southern Russia and led to numerous lawsuits from both local and federal entities.

As reported by the Federal Transportation Oversight Agency (Rostransnadzor), the captain of the Volgoneft-239 tanker — whose identity has not been revealed — was navigating the ship with an expired certificate. Officials indicated that the captain’s certification had been out of date «for several days» prior to the storm that triggered the incident.

While state media did not disclose the captain’s name, earlier reports have pointed to the ship’s helmsman, 26-year-old Anastasia Yudenko, a graduate of the Saratov College of Water Transportation, Construction, and Service, who specialized in navigation and as an assistant mechanic for smaller vessels.

At the time of the incident, some news outlets alleged that Yudenko was solely in charge of the vessel. However, she refuted those claims in a post on VKontakte, stating: «I don’t regret taking that job. It taught me the essence of loving your work. Thank you for all the good moments.” The post included a video showing the Volgoneft-239 at sea.

Authorities noted that both the Volgoneft-239 and the Volgoneft-212 tankers were transporting a total of 9,200 metric tons of heavy fuel oil, or mazut, when they encountered the storm. It is estimated that approximately half of the cargo was released into the sea.

According to Rostransnadzor, the tankers did not have the necessary certification to operate in open waters during winter. Both vessels were primarily designed for river navigation and sheltered coastal areas.

In response to the spill, the city of Anapa reported expenditures exceeding 211 million rubles (about $2.4 million) for cleanup operations. Officials stated that nearly 200,000 metric tons of contaminated sand have been removed, and over 500 kilometers of coastline have been restored.

Plans to install watertight barriers to prevent further leakage from the submerged Volgoneft-212 are set to commence in October.

On Wednesday, Rosprirodnadzor refuted claims that oil was still leaking from the sunken ship, deeming those assertions “inaccurate.” Nonetheless, a representative acknowledged that as long as the vessel remains underwater, it continues to represent an environmental risk.