Russian captain faces trial in London court over deadly North Sea collision

The Russian captain of a cargo ship involved in a fiery North Sea collision has appeared in a London court, charged with gross negligence manslaughter following the death of a crew member.

Vladimir Motin, 59, has pleaded not guilty to the charge relating to the incident last March, in which his Portuguese-flagged vessel, the Solong, collided with the US-flagged tanker Stena Immaculate, laden with jet fuel and anchored off the port of Hull. The collision sparked a massive fire and prompted a major offshore rescue operation, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Filipino crewman Mark Angelo Pernia was lost during the incident and is presumed dead. Preliminary investigations revealed that neither vessel had a dedicated lookout on the bridge at the time of the collision, and visibility conditions were described as “patchy.” The Solong reportedly penetrated one of the tanker's cargo tanks, releasing aviation fuel that ignited due to the collision’s heat.

It took nearly two days to fully extinguish the flames in a large-scale firefighting operation. While authorities averted a major environmental disaster, a clean-up was required for plastic pellets—known as nurdles—spilled from the Solong, with over 16 tons collected from beaches in northeastern Lincolnshire.

The UK government has ruled out foul play in the incident. The tanker’s owner, Crowley, stated that Stena Immaculate was operating in compliance with standard watch requirements. Both vessel owners have filed legal claims against each other.

Motin’s trial at London’s Old Bailey is expected to last several weeks as the court examines evidence and witness testimony surrounding one of the North Sea’s most serious maritime accidents in recent years.

By Vafa Guliyeva