Ship owner says arrested captain of cargo vessel involved in North Sea collision is Russian

c/world · u/MicroWave@lemmy.world · 206 points

**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.

Comments

u/Vandals_handle@lemmy.world · 2 points

Gonna need a bigger towel to sop up the jet fuel

u/AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world · 12 points

I liked that many news outlets mentioned that it was foggy. As if there was some kind of guy in a crow's nest looking for obstacles ahead.

And, obviously, it wasn't a tiny plastic boat. That tanker would have lit up the onboard radar like an island.

u/casmael@lemm.ee · 3 points

“The tube is full of Arsenal fans, Drayton park is closed and the pubs are full of home fans. Is there an Arsenal game on?”

Fuckers going to be arguing with you all the way to half time “bro if they call the game off now it technically won’t have happened”

If it looks like a duck walks like a duck quacks like a duck then it’s a fucking duck

u/HowRu68@lemmy.world · 6 points

buT.. cAn YoU "PROVE IT"? /s

u/casmael@lemm.ee · 15 points

Pretty obvious sabotage imo

u/HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works · 6 points

But ofc he is. 🤮

u/GeeDubHayduke@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 12 points

I'd guess yes. And Trump is apparently fine with allowing them to continue.

u/HowRu68@lemmy.world · 3 points

SSputin sinking SStrump ..

u/uberdroog@lemmy.world · 29 points

I assumed this right away. A little too obvious honestly

u/brrt@sh.itjust.works · 26 points

Solong and thanks for all the dead fish.

u/Kyrgizion@lemmy.world · 17 points

Considering they must have known they couldn't get away with this undetected, I suspect there will be a sizable amount of rubles being deposited in his bank account or that of one of his relatives soon.

u/ploot@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 15 points

>The cargo ship collided Monday with MV Stena Immaculate, a tanker transporting jet fuel for the U.S. military in the North Sea off eastern England on Monday, setting both vessels ablaze.

Hmm, smacks of plausible deniability.

u/HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works · 13 points

Well well well ... that's an interesting twist to the story. Does Sputin have his own flotilla willing to ram ships carrying American oil/fuel?

u/yesman@lemmy.world · 8 points

Everybody assumes that this was an Opp, but we should consider that maybe he was just drunk.

u/Drusas@fedia.io · 6 points

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.

u/b_tr3e@feddit.org · -1 points

Still better to sink a tanker than to own one.