Two oil tankers carrying nearly 9,000 metric tons of mazut fuel were damaged by a storm, broke in half, sunk and caused oil spills in Kerch Strait, which separates Crimea and Russia.

A Russian oil tanker carrying thousands of tons of oil products split apart during a heavy storm Sunday, spilling oil into the Kerch Strait, while another tanker was also in distress after sustaining damage, Russian officials said. An emergency rescue operation is now underway, Russian officials told state news outlets Sunday.