Two oil tankers are sinking in the Kerch Strait, a key waterway that connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov, causing a major emergency. The tankers, named Volganeft 212 and Volganeft 239, sent out distress signals asking for help as powerful winds and huge waves slammed into them. There were 29 crew members on board both vessels at the time.

The trouble began several kilometers from the coast of the Black Sea, where the storm made the sea rough and dangerous. The Volganeft 212, which ...