The captain of the Portugal-flagged Solong cargo ship, arrested after the vessel collided with a U.S. tanker off the coast of England, is a Russian national, Ernst Russ, the ship’s owner, confirmed on Wednesday.
The Solong struck the Stena Immaculate, a tanker carrying 20,000 barrels of jet fuel for the U.S. military, while it was anchored in the North Sea near Hull on Monday. The collision sparked fires on both vessels. All 23 crew members aboard the Stena Immaculate were safely evacuated, but one crew member from the Solong is missing and presumed dead.
Solong’s 59-year-old Russian captain was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence. He remains in U.K. police custody as of press time.
A spokesperson for Ernst Russ also said that the ship’s 14 crew members were a mix of Russian and Filipino nationals.
More than a day after the crash, the Solong continued to burn, while the fire on the Stena Immaculate was extinguished.
BRAND NEW footage of both the cargo ship ‘Solong’ that crashed into the oil tanker ‘Stena Immaculate’ which was carrying US Military Jet Fuel in the North Sea off the East Yorkshire coast. It also now turns out that the pilot of the Solong was a Russian national.
(Credit: BBC) pic.twitter.com/R0guYwZcdF
— Ian Ridpath (@ianridpath) March 12, 2025
The collision, which resulted in a jet fuel spill into the sea, has raised serious environmental concerns. Alarm was further heightened among environmentalists when reports emerged that the Solong was carrying large quantities of sodium cyanide.
However, Ernst Russ later denied these claims, clarifying that the ship was only transporting four empty containers that had previously held the hazardous chemical.
Reports stated that U.K. authorities have found no evidence of foul play in the crash and there is currently no indication of any connection to national security.
However, port inspection documents revealed that the Solong had failed multiple safety checks in 2023. A July inspection in Dublin found 10 deficiencies, including unreadable emergency steering position communications, inadequate alarms, and poorly maintained survival equipment. A further inspection in Scotland in October identified additional issues, but the vessel was not detained.
Humberside Police is taking the lead in investigating any criminal offenses related to the collision.
“Humberside Police have taken primacy for the investigation of any potential criminal offences which arise from the collision between the two vessels,” Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson said.
“Extensive work has already been carried out, and we are working closely with our partners to understand what happened, and to provide support to all of those affected,” he added.
According to the Associated Press, both the U.S. and Portugal are also investigating the incident.
