The Ministry of Emergency Situations in the Astrakhan region reported that the motor vessel Port Olya-2, en route to Iran, ran aground at kilometer 144 on the Volga-Caspian shipping channel. The incident was confirmed by the regional area recovery agency, which is overseeing the response and salvage operations.
The official briefing notes that the crew consists of 14 seafarers. There were no injuries reported and no fuel leaks detected. The grounding has temporarily halted vessel traffic along this stretch of the channel while rescue teams assess the situation and secure the vessel to prevent further hazards.
According to the communication from authorities, the vessel was carrying a bulk cargo with a total mass of 4,546 tons. A tugboat was dispatched to the scene to assist with stabilization and potential refloating, depending on the evolving conditions beneath the vessel and in the waterway.
Earlier, the Volga Transport Prosecutor’s Office shared information via its Telegram channel about the motor ship Ilya Muromets, which had been carrying 113 passengers. The vessel was refloated on the Volga near Gorodets in the Nizhny Novgorod region, according to the outlet.
In the same period, reports indicated that the Ilya Muromets had previously run aground. A tug from the Volga Shipping Company arrived at the site to assist with the maneuvering and to help ensure the safety of the passengers and crew.
On April 2, another incident occurred along the Turkish Black Sea coast near Kastamonu, where the container ship Maren, traveling from Greece toward the Georgian port of Poti, ran aground after losing steering control. The dry cargo vessel briefly stopped before settling onto the seabed. It was noted that the ship would proceed toward its destination in the hours ahead, with navigators monitoring the situation and adjusting the course to continue the voyage once it is safe to do so.