Russian captain in deadly North Sea ship collision faces UK trial

The Russian captain of a cargo ship that collided with a US-chartered tanker in the North Sea, killing one crew member and sparking a massive fire, goes on trial Monday in London, facing charges of manslaughter.

Vladimir Motin, 59, from St Petersburg, has pleaded not guilty to one count of gross negligence manslaughter. The trial at London's Old Bailey court is expected to last several weeks.

The Portuguese-flagged Solong, under Motin's command, rammed into the jet-fuel-laden Stena Immaculate tanker early on 10 March 2025, setting both vessels ablaze and triggering a massive offshore rescue operation.

The US-flagged tanker, chartered by the US military, was anchored 13 miles from the port of Hull in northeastern England at the time of the crash.

One Solong crew member, Mark Angelo Pernia from the Philippines, was lost and is presumed dead. The collision also sparked fears of environmental damage after a fuel tank was ruptured.

The UK government ruled out foul play last year.

A preliminary report found that "neither the Solong nor Stena Immaculate had a dedicated lookout on the bridge" at the time of the incident and that visibility was "patchy".

The stationary tanker was operating "in compliance" with watch requirements for an anchored vessel, owner Crowley said.

The Solong penetrated one of Stena's cargo tanks, "releasing aviation fuel into the sea and onto the bow of Solong," the UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch said in a report published in April 2025.

"The aviation fuel was ignited by the heat generated by the force of the collision," it added.

Firefighters took nearly two days to extinguish visible flames in a massive operation. Both vessels were relocated to different ports for salvage operations and damage assessments.

German company Ernst Russ, which owns the Solong, and Crowley have filed legal claims against each other.

While an environmental disaster from jet fuel spillage was averted, the coastguard undertook a cleanup operation after discovering plastic pellets, or nurdles, in the sea and washed ashore.

The tiny pieces of plastic resin which are non-toxic but pose a risk to wildlife came from the Solong, which was carrying 15 containers of the pellets.

More than 16 tonnes of plastics were removed from beaches in northeastern Lincolnshire, according to the local council.