Two shipping firms have been ordered to pay nearly RUB49.46 billion (US$622 million) in damages for a December 2024 oil spill in the Kerch Strait, which severely polluted Black Sea coastlines and disrupted tourism, reports Riga-based Meduza news agency.

The Krasnodar arbitration court upheld a lawsuit filed by Russia's Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources, ruling that the owner and charterer of the Volgoneft-212 tanker must jointly pay the full amount.

The court's decision follows a major environmental disaster on 15 December, when two ageing tankers broke apart during a storm while carrying 9,200 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. Rescue services later confirmed that 2,400 tonnes of petroleum products had spilled into the sea.

Investigators found both vessels were operating outside their permitted seasonal limits. Volgoneft-239 was banned from sailing after November 20, while Volgoneft-212 was restricted after November 30.