Russian helicopters are searching for five seamen today after a storm in the northern mouth of the Black Sea that caused a Russian tanker to break up.
Rescue officials said three people died in the storm in the straits between the Black Sea and the Azov Sea yesterday, sinking a small oil tanker and at least four freighters, and leaving other ships stranded on the shoreline.Three helicopters and 11 rescue ships are taking part in the search operation for the men.
The oil spill came from a small Russian oil tanker which broke in two during the storm when it was off the Ukrainian port of Kerch.
Officials said it had spilled at least 1,300 tonnes of fuel oil. The tanker was carrying 4,000 tonnes of fuel oil in total when it was hit by the storm.
The deputy head of Russia's environment agency said the spill could take years to clean up.
The sea was calm today but at Novorossiisk, Russia's second biggest port for exports of oil and oil products, officials ordered tankers not to dock because a second storm was on its way.