MOSCOW — Two Russian oil tankers, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, have sunk in the Black Sea amid severe weather conditions, spilling oil and leaving at least one crew member dead, Russian authorities said.

The incident occurred in the Kerch Strait, which separates Russia from occupied Crimea.

Video footage posted on Telegram by Russia's Southern Transport Prosecutor's Office—yet to be independently verified—shows one tanker broken in half and sinking during a heavy storm, with visible oil streaks spreading across the water.

A rescue and clean-up operation is underway, involving tugboats, helicopters, and more than 50 personnel, according to TASS news agency.

Russian federal sea and inland water transport agency Rosmorrechflot confirmed in a statement that the two tankers carried crews of 15 and 14 members respectively.

"Today, as a result of a storm in the Black Sea, two tankers... sank. The accident resulted in a spill of oil products," Rosmorrechflot stated.

Each tanker had a loading capacity of approximately 4,200 tonnes of oil, Reuters reported. The total scale of the oil spill is still being assessed.

Authorities have launched a criminal investigation into potential negligence linked to the incident, TASS reported. — Agencies