Russian Captain Arrested Following North Sea Cargo Ship Collision: Investigation Underway

The captain of the cargo vessel that collided with a stationary tanker in the North Sea is a Russian citizen, as confirmed by the ship’s owner to AFP on Wednesday.

The 59-year-old man was taken into custody by U.K. authorities after the Solong cargo ship, belonging to Ernst Russ, collided with the U.S.-flagged Stena Immaculate on Monday, resulting in one crew member being unaccounted for and presumed dead.

«Ernst Russ confirms that the captain is a Russian national,» the company stated in a communication to AFP. «The remainder of the crew comprises individuals from Russia and the Philippines.»

This information comes after the man’s arrest on Tuesday on suspicion of manslaughter linked to the accident, which took place off the northeast coast of England.

Ernst Russ identified the arrested individual as the Russian captain of the Portuguese-flagged Solong.

On Monday morning, the Solong crashed into the Stena Immaculate, which was anchored approximately 20 kilometers (13 miles) from the port of Hull, resulting in fires on both vessels.

The incident also caused jet fuel from the tanker to leak into the North Sea, prompting concerns over environmental effects and marine life, as well as inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the accident.

According to Crowley, the U.S.-based operator of the tanker, by Tuesday evening, the fire on the vessel had «significantly decreased with no visible flames,» although the amount of jet fuel released into the sea remained «uncertain.»

«Initial assessments indicate that the impact was limited because of exposure to heat and evaporation of the Jet A1 fuel,» Crowley said in a statement.

The U.K. Coastguard, which coordinated the rescue efforts, successfully retrieved 36 individuals on Monday, including all 23 crew members from the Stena Immaculate, which had been chartered by the U.S. military.

However, a member of the Solong’s crew is still missing and is considered deceased, as stated by Mike Kane, U.K. Under-Secretary for Transport, in Parliament.

«Whether there was any wrongdoing involved is speculative,» he remarked concerning the crash. «Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that.»

The Stena Immaculate was on a temporary U.S. military charter with Military Sealift Command, according to a representative of the command. Military Sealift Command operates civilian-crewed vessels for the U.S. Defense Department.

Data from the VesselFinder website indicates that the collision caused the tanker to be displaced by «over 400 meters.»

The Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday that Irish officials found deficiencies in the Solong’s emergency steering compass during a routine safety inspection last year. This deficiency was among ten noted during the inspection when the ship docked in Dublin in July 2024.

British law enforcement is examining air quality and environmental consequences in the North Sea and has initiated investigations into the circumstances surrounding the cargo ship’s collision with the tanker.