A Soviet-era product tanker has gone down in the Russian-controlled Kerch Strait, spilling fuel and leaving one seafarer dead.

According to Russian transport agency Rosmorrechflot, the aging river-sea tanker Volgoneft 212 sank in a wintertime storm Sunday about five nautical miles outside of the Kerch Strait. Waves in excess of 25 feet were forecast by Russia's meteorological agency, according to TASS. A video taken by a crewmember shows that the aging vessel broke up in the storm, and the bow could be seen floating away from the bridge deck.

Of the 15 people aboard the 212, at least one has been confirmed dead. Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that twelve people were rescued, implying that two seafarers remain missing. Two of the survivors were said to be in serious condition.

The tanker was carrying about 4,300 tonnes of mazut, a uniquely Russian and Central Asian residual fuel oil produced from low-quality feedstocks. The amount of pollution is not known, but a breakup would release a substantial quantity of petroleum at once from at least one cargo tank and several fuel tanks.

Russian authorities are investigating the incident as a possible criminal safety violation.

A second tanker from the same operator's fleet, the Volgoneft 239, ran aground just off Taman at about the same time as the sinking of the 212. The grounded ship was located close to shore, and though initial reports suggested it was sinking, it remained afloat. Conditions on scene were poor and the crew were determined to be in no danger, so SAR authorities opted to leave all crewmembers aboard the 239 until the weather improved.

Volgoneft 212 was more than five decades old, and had recently received major modifications in a yard period. According to ABC, her hull had been cut in two amidships - typically a prelude to lengthening to increase cargo capacity.

A large fleet of Soviet-era tankers and bulkers still ply the waters of the Black Sea, providing low-cost transport along the coasts and inland waterways. These aging vessels have repeatedly broken up and sunk in heavy weather in recent years, including one in 2021 that was smashed by modest swells while at anchor.

In 2007, another aging Volgoneft tanker - Volgoneft-139 - broke up under similar circumstances in Kerch Strait.

A bulker that weathered the Russian occupation of Mariupol has collided with a Turkish freighter in the Kattegat, according to flag state officials.

The Bulgarian-managed Tzarevna ("Princess") was under way between Jutland and Sweden on Thursday night, bound for St. Petersburg. At about 2230 hours, it was in collision with the Erdogan Bey, a 50,000 dwt Turkish freighter. No injuries or pollution were reported, and an investigation into the cause of the casualty is under way, led by Danish authorities.

The Tzarevna's operator told Bulgarian industry outlet maritime.bg that little damage occurred in the collision; however, a Danish Armed Forces spokesperson reported that Tsarevna's bow had been holed. The ship has gone to anchor just off Aarhus.

In March 2022, Tzarevna was caught in the port of Mariupol when Russian forces took the town, and she and her crew were held by Russian-aligned separatists. At the time, Italian shipowner Fratelli Cosulich told local media that the Russian-backed Donetsk Republic forces had made an offer to buy the ship, but "at a ridiculous value" that amounted to "blackmail." At the time, managing director Augusto Cosulich told Il Giornale that "the news is that the Russians are taking everything, ship and cargo."

The vessel was released in November 2022 and departed, though the crew reportedly had to offload their 15,000-tonne cargo of Ukrainian steel before sailing.

The 2nd China International Supply Chain Promotion Exhibition /CISCE/ concluded in Beijing on Saturday, where more than 210 cooperation and intentions agreements were signed for a total value of more than 152 billion yuan /about 21.17 billion US dollars/. This was reported by the Chinese Committee for the Promotion of International Trade /CCPIT/, the organizer of the event.

According to the committee, during the five-day exhibition more than 600 exhibitors from almost 70 countries and regions of the world established cooperation with more than 37 thousand suppliers of raw materials and finished products.

More than 6 thousand meetings between exhibitors and professional audience were organized within CISCE, thanks to which it was possible to conclude more than 6.7 thousand agreements of intent.

This year's exhibition was attended by more than 200,000 people, which is about a third more than at the first similar event.

As the world's first national-level supply chain exhibition, the event attracted significant interest from multinational corporations. Almost a third of this year's exhibitors came from abroad, up from 26 percent last year. Moreover, major global companies, including GE HealthCare and SAP, have already applied to participate in the 3rd China International Supply Chain Promotion Expo.

CCPIT Vice Chairman Zhang Shaogang emphasized that the Expo is a platform for both Chinese and international companies to showcase their innovations, hold meaningful business discussions and exchange views on strengthening supply chain cooperation.

He noted that CCPIT is committed to improving this Expo and expanding its “circle of friends” to further strengthen the broad consensus on promoting international supply chain cooperation.

European and Chinese enterprises and relevant government departments are preparing a welcoming ceremony to mark the historic arrival of the 100,000th China-Europe freight train, which is scheduled to arrive in Duisburg, Germany, this week.

The train, loaded with a variety of goods such as electronics, vehicles and auto parts, machinery components and household appliances, departed from Chongqing in southwest China last week, marking a milestone in the development of this type of transportation service, which promotes trade and economic ties between China and Europe.

China-Europe freight train traffic on the Yuxinou /Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe/ route from Chongqing to Duisburg was launched in March 2011. This created a direct overland trade corridor between China and Europe.

Over the past 13 years, China-Europe international rail freight services have brought significant benefits to the people of the countries along these routes, improving logistics and connectivity across the Eurasian continent and promoting the opening up of China's high-level hinterland.

Watching the departure of the 100,000th train, Kang Qinbin of Lifan Technology, a motorcycle and car manufacturer headquartered in Chongqing, recalled the company's memorable experience of being one of the first customers of China-Europe freight trains in March 2011.

“China-Europe International Freight Train services have solved our logistical problems,” said Kang Qinbin, explaining that before these services were available, export goods from Chongqing were transported either via slow sea routes through coastal areas or expensive air freight.

Since the launch of the freight train, the transportation time of Lifan Technology's products to Eastern Europe has been cut by more than 50 percent, giving the company a firm foothold in overseas markets.

Over the years, Chinese cities such as Chengdu, Xi'an, Urumqi, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Ganzhou, Kunming and Hefei have joined the China-Europe railway network, thus strengthening the connection of China's hinterland with global markets.

At present, more than 50,000 types of goods, including machinery and electronics from Chongqing, ornamental plants from Sichuan Province, consumer goods and furniture from Jiangxi Province, are transported through this network, reaching 227 cities in 25 European countries and more than 100 cities in 11 Asian countries.

According to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd./China State Railway Group Co., Ltd./, more than 11 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) worth more than $420 billion have been transported on China-Europe rail routes so far. US DOLLARS.

Wei Wei of the Logistics Department of the Nanchang Branch of China Railway emphasized the crucial role of China-Europe freight trains in promoting economic cooperation between China's hinterland and the rest of the world.

The Suez Canal recently completed one of the most unique transits and the largest of its kind in the 154-year history of the waterway. A missive floating dock being transferred from Singapore to Turkey made its way north on November 7 and 8 after intricate planning.

The Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, Admiral Ossama Rabiee explained that the transit of the floating dock required several pre-transit procedures, starting with the navigation plan prepared by the Navigation Monitoring Center, followed by discussions and analysis of necessary navigation safety measures for the safe transit of the dock at the SCA's Simulation and Maritime Training Academy. An initial inspection of the dock was then conducted at the Suez Anchorage Area by a working group of pilots and tug masters.

The transit of the floating dock Dourado is considered a non-conventional transit operation as it was moved through guided by tugs without propulsion power. It is 91,000 tons and had a total transit length (including the dock and tugs) of 1,476 feet (450 meters) with a width of 295 feet (90 meters). As such, it became the largest floating unit to transit the Canal by towing.

The Suez Canal Authority highlights that the transit was only possible because of the canal expansion program as part of its southern sector development project. Before the expansion, the maximum allowable beam under the navigation rules was 70 meters for the transit. The expansion project added 40 meters to the canal’s width on the eastern side and also reduced water current effects. This enhanced navigation safety in the southern sector.

Despite the enhancements to the canal, the SCA notes the dock’s transit required precise maneuvering and careful monitoring of the water and air currents to maintain its navigational axis throughout the voyage.

As the dock was relying solely on tugs a speed restriction of a maximum of 4 knots was placed on the transit. Once the dock arrived in the canal’s southern anchorage, two escort tugs from Singapore, Hulk II and Maverick 1, were positioned at the front of the dock. Five SCA tugs and a lead boat were assigned with one tug placed on each side in the central position and the others providing rear support. The team also consisted of 16 canal pilots and 10 tug masters.

The dock moving as part of a northbound convoy required 24 hours to complete the transit of the Suez Canal.