Ten dead after two ships catch fire in Kerch Strait

Ten crew members have died and 14 other members have been rescued after two ships caught fire in the Kerch Strait near Crimea, Russia's Federal Agency of Maritime and River Transportation told Euronews. Victims will be taken to the port of Kerch once rescued. It is believed the fire was sparked by the transfer of fuel from one vessel to another, even though this has not yet been confirmed, spokesperson Alexey Kravchenko added. Both ships were sailing under the Tanzanian flag and had a combined 31 crew members on board, according to Reuters, citing the Russian Ministry of Transport. "The operation in the Black Sea is ongoing," said Kravchenko. The Kerch Strait, located between Russian-annexed Crimea and southern Russia, controls access from the Black Sea to the Azov Sea, which has Ukrainian and Russian ports. In November 2018, Russia captured three Ukrainian navy vessels and detained their crews, which sparked tensions between the two countries.