In a subsequent report, TASS described the damage to the Volgoneft 212 as catastrophic: “In the conditions of the storm, the bow of the tanker was torn off.”
Unverified footage on Telegram also appears to show one of the vessels broken in half, with streaks of oil visible on the surface of the water. The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday in the Kerch Strait waterway separating annexed Crimea and mainland Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a working group to be set up to “organize rescue operations and cleanup works after the oil spill,” his press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
Two rescue tugboats and two helicopters have been dispatched. The Russian emergencies ministry said one crew member had died.
Both vessels have a loading capacity of about 4,200 metric tons of oil products, according to Reuters.
This story has been updated.