KYIV, Dec 15 - Two Russian oil tankers have been seriously damaged following a storm in the Kerch Strait, spilling oil and sparking an emergency rescue operation, The Associated Press reported Sunday citing Russian officials.

Some reports said at least one of the vessels later sank.

The Volgoneft-212 tanker, which was carrying a crew of 13 and a cargo of fuel oil, ran aground and had its bow torn away, the Tass news agency reported, citing the country’s Emergency Situations Ministry. Officials said that one crew member died, but that a rescue operation was able to evacuate the remaining sailors.

A second tanker, the Volgoneft-239, was also damaged and was adrift with 14 crewmembers on board. It later ran aground 80 meters from shore close to the port of Taman in Russia’s Krasnodar region, where a rescue operation is being planned, the Emergency Situations Ministry said.

Together, the two ships were carrying almost 9,000 tons of mazut, a heavy, low-grade fuel oil, Tass reported. Social media footage from the scene showed a black slick of liquid among the waves.

Russian officials confirmed the oil spill, but said that experts were still working to assess its full impact and extent.

The Kerch Strait separates the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula from Russia and is an important global shipping route, providing passage from the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.

It has also been a key point of conflict between Russia and Ukraine after Moscow annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. In 2016, Ukraine took Moscow to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, where it accused Russia of trying to illegally seize control of the area. In 2021, Russia closed the strait for several months. (ap/ez)