Damage to 2 Russian Tankers Causes Black Sea Oil Products Spill

This photo taken from a video released by the Russian Southern Transport Prosecutor's Office, shows a Volgoneft 212 tanker wrecked by a storm in the Kerch Strait, Russia, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (The Russian Southern Transport Prosecutor's Office via AP)
This photo taken from a video released by the Russian Southern Transport Prosecutor's Office, shows a Volgoneft 212 tanker wrecked by a storm in the Kerch Strait, Russia, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (The Russian Southern Transport Prosecutor's Office via AP)
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Damage to 2 Russian Tankers Causes Black Sea Oil Products Spill

This photo taken from a video released by the Russian Southern Transport Prosecutor's Office, shows a Volgoneft 212 tanker wrecked by a storm in the Kerch Strait, Russia, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (The Russian Southern Transport Prosecutor's Office via AP)
This photo taken from a video released by the Russian Southern Transport Prosecutor's Office, shows a Volgoneft 212 tanker wrecked by a storm in the Kerch Strait, Russia, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (The Russian Southern Transport Prosecutor's Office via AP)

Damage caused to two Russian tankers in stormy weathers in the Black Sea caused an oil products spill, the Interfax news agency cited Russia's Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport (Rosmorrechflot) as saying on Sunday.

The two cargo ships were damaged due to bad weather in the Kerch Strait between mainland Russia and annexed Crimea and have requested assistance, Russia's emergency services ministry said on Sunday.

There were 13 people on board the Volgoneft 212 tanker, and 14 people on the second ship, the Volgoneft 239, the ministry said.

The ministry said more than 50 people and equipment including an Mi-8 helicopter and a rescue tugboat had been deployed.

Russia's Kommersant newspaper reported that the Volgoneft 212 tanker was carrying about 4,300 tons of fuel oil.

Unverified video posted on Telegram showed some blackened water on stormy seas and a half-submerged tanker.



German Christmas Market Attacker Asked about Whereabouts of Saudi Ambassador

People mourn at the mourning site in front of St. John's Church following a vehicle-ramming attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, 22 December 2024.  EPA/FILIP SINGER
People mourn at the mourning site in front of St. John's Church following a vehicle-ramming attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, 22 December 2024. EPA/FILIP SINGER
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German Christmas Market Attacker Asked about Whereabouts of Saudi Ambassador

People mourn at the mourning site in front of St. John's Church following a vehicle-ramming attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, 22 December 2024.  EPA/FILIP SINGER
People mourn at the mourning site in front of St. John's Church following a vehicle-ramming attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, 22 December 2024. EPA/FILIP SINGER

The perpetrator who drove a car at speed through a Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg, Germany, has reportedly offered a reward in return for information about the whereabouts of the Saudi ambassador to Germany, a source told Independent Arabia on Sunday.
The source said that the attacker, Taleb al-Abd al-Mohsen, had offered a SAR 10,000 (equivalent to 2662 euros) in reward for anyone who provides information pertaining to the residence of the Saudi ambassador to Germany, and the timing of his presence.
The Saudi embassy had informed the German authorities about the threat, said the source but the latter “did not take the matter seriously”, he stated.
On Friday, Taleb al-Abd al-Mohsen drove a car at speed through a Christmas market in Germany, killing four women ranging in age from 45 to 75, as well as a 9-year-old boy and injuring 200, including 41 in serious condition.
The police apprehended the perpetrator at the scene of the attack. He is a doctor who had fled Saudi Arabia, where he was wanted on criminal charges. He had been residing in Germany for two decades.
Saudi Arabia condemned the ramming attack and expressed solidarity with the people of Germany.
A Saudi source told Reuters that Saudi Arabia had warned the German authorities about the suspect who appears to have been an active user of the social media platform X, sharing extremist tweets and retweets daily.
In 2023 and 2024, Germany received warnings about the man from Saudi authorities, a German source affirmed.