Two Russian cargo ships have sunk in the area of the Kerch Strait off the coast of Crimea annexed by the Russian Federation. This was reported by the Mash Telegram channel on Sunday, December 15. Earlier Russian news agencies with reference to the emergency services reported that two tankers were in distress.

Near the Kerch Strait, two Russian oil tankers malfunctioned, and one of them broke in half. "The disaster could become one of the largest man-made catastrophes in the Black Sea," Greenpeace stated in a comment published by the Russian independent portal Meduza.

Another tanker was also in distress after sustaining damage, Russian officials said. At least one person was killed.