Summary
The Russian captain of the cargo ship Solong remains in U.K. custody after its collision with a U.S. military-contracted tanker, Stena Immaculate, in the North Sea.
One sailor is missing, and both vessels caught fire. Authorities found no foul play but are investigating. The Solong had previously failed safety inspections in 2023, including steering-related issues.
The crash caused jet fuel to spill, raising environmental concerns, though Greenpeace suggests an “environmental disaster may have been narrowly averted.”
UK authorities have found no evidence of foul play as US and Portugal lead the investigation.
Port inspection documents show the Solong failed steering-related safety checks in Dublin, Ireland, in July, with the vessel’s “emergency steering position communications/compass reading” unreadable. Inspectors found a total of 10 deficiencies, including “inadequate” alarms, survival craft “not properly maintained” and fire doors “not as required.”
An inspection in Scotland in October found two other deficiencies. The ship wasn’t detained after either inspection.
So, probably gross negligence rather than a deliberate act. Probably.
Everybody assumes that this was an Opp, but we should consider that maybe he was just drunk.
Solong and thanks for all the dead fish.
