Marine Online: 2019

Numerous sources report “disastrous fire” on board of “gas tanker” at Kerch Strait south entrance, Black sea. Some say just tanker is on fire, some say two tankers were performing STS operation and now both on fire, crew jumping overboard. All sources though, say that the ship on fire is Tanzania-flagged. Video was already posted on youtube. Well, according to video, it’s a general cargo ship of river-sea type, major cargo ship type in this region. Only one such ship under Tanzanian flag found – DAISY, IMO 8033120, dwt 3353, built 1981, flag Tanzania, manager MD SHIPPING ODESSA – UKRAINE.

Both tankers had been involved in illegal gas supplies to Syria since 2016, according to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury (OFAC). According to ships tracks and port calls records, both were working as gas-train, where CANDY was cargo collector in Russian Ports (Temryuk), and MAESTRO was cargo shuttle, transporting LPG to Syria with fixed AIS tracks. Of course Russian Authorities knew about the scheme, but were covering it up. Tankers transferred LPG in STS operation on anchorage in Kerch Strait waters outside territorial waters, so legally speaking, outside boundaries of Russian jurisdiction. So it was a “gray” business involving a number of possible negative consequences, read above.

12 crew were rescued, 11 died and their bodies recovered, 3 went under water right in front of rescuers (most probably because of hypothermia and shock), 5 still missing.Tankers were deployed in sanctioned Crimea shipping, performing STS in Crimean waters. Tankers were operated in “grey zone”, managed by “grey” offshore company or companies. Crews in all probability, were substandard. Tankers are old, and according to risk assessments, both in poor condition. Hence the tragedy, the result of combination of a number of negative factors.