Russian captain charged with manslaughter for North Sea collision with US oil tanker, remanded in custody

The Russian captain of a container ship which crashed into a US oil tanker and killed a 38-year-old crew member has been remanded in custody after being charged with gross negligence manslaughter. 

Master of the MV Solong, Vladimir Motin, 59, appeared at Hull Magistrates’ Court on Saturday in relation to the collision between the two vessels in the North Sea on Monday.

Motin, from the Primorsky District of St Petersburg, stood in the glass-front dock at the court for the 35-minute long hearing, which was told how his vessel, the Solong container ship, collided with the US oil tanker Stena Immaculate off the east coast of Yorkshire earlier this week.

The Stena Immaculate was carrying 142,000 barrels of jet fuel which led to a ‘massive fireball’ following the crash and potentially devastating environmental consequences. 

The court heard how all 23 people on the tanker were rescued along with 13 of 14 crew members from the Solong but Mark Angelo Pernia – a 38-year-old Filipino national – could not be located. 

The Crown Prosecution Service previously confirmed that Mr Pernia died following the collision between the two vessels. 

There was no application for bail and Motin, from St Petersburg, Russia, was remanded in custody by deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram, who appeared via videolink.

No pleas were entered. Motin will appear next at the Old Bailey on April 14. 

A statement from Humberside Police on Friday said: ‘An investigation by Humberside Police supported by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) into the collision between a tanker and a cargo vessel in the North Sea, off the coast of East Yorkshire, has resulted in a man being charged.

‘The captain of the Solong vessel, Vladimir Motin, 59 years old, of Primorsky, St Petersburg, Russia, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter and been remanded in police custody to appear at Hull Magistrates’ Court tomorrow.

‘On Monday, 10 March, Humberside Police received a report at around 11am that a collision had occurred between the two vessels, resulting in one crew member being reported missing.

‘Extensive searches were carried out by HM Coastguard to locate the missing crew member, now presumed deceased. 

‘The family are being supported by specialist trained officers and our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time.’

Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: ‘We have authorised Humberside Police to charge a Russian national in relation to a collision involving two vessels in the North Sea off the east coast of England.

‘The Portuguese-registered cargo ship, the Solong, collided with the American-registered oil tanker, the Stena Immaculate, just before 10am on Monday, 10 March 2025.

‘Filipino national Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, died.

‘Vladimir Motin, 59, from St Petersburg, Russia, who was the vessel’s captain, is due to be charged with one count of gross negligence manslaughter.’

Earlier on Friday the force confirmed magistrates had granted a further extension to the time detectives could hold the captain ‘due to the complexities of the incident’.

Motin as arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter on Monday evening, hours after the collision.

Ernst Ross, the company that owns the Solong, said earlier this week that Motin had been ‘actively assisting with the investigations’.

All five Russians involved in the North Sea drama are ‘alive’, according to Russian sources.

The Stena Immaculate is still at anchor at the point where the collision happened, which is about 12 miles off the East Yorkshire coast, near Withernsea.

Meanwhile the Solong drifted south of this location, to a point where it could be seen off the Lincolnshire coast. 

Also on Friday, chief coastguard Paddy O’Callaghan said the vessels are ‘stable’ and salvors have boarded them both to continue damage assessments.

He said: ‘There are now only small periodic pockets of fire on the Solong which are not causing undue concern.

‘Specialist tugs with firefighting capability remain at both vessels’ locations.

‘Regular aerial surveillance flights continue to monitor the vessels and confirm that there continues to be no cause for concern from pollution from either the Stena Immaculate or from the Solong.’

Mr O’Callaghan said: ‘The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is also assisting in the response, and continues to advise that any public health risk on shore is deemed to be very low.

‘The UKSHA will keep risk assessments under continual review as further information becomes available.’

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Thursday the situation was ‘reasonably contained’.

Pressed on calls for a Cobra meeting to assess the potential environmental damage, he said: ‘We are absolutely monitoring this 24/7 and I’ve got teams doing that and assuring me of what’s going on.

‘At the moment, the situation is reasonably contained. And, obviously, we will do whatever is necessary.’

The CPS said it ‘reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are now active and that he has the right to a fair trial.

‘It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.’

A total of 36 crew members from the two vessels were brought safely ashore, with no major injuries.

The US-flagged 50,000-ton MV Stena Immaculate was engulfed by a huge fireball after Solong ‘came out the blue’ and allegedly ploughed into it.

Solong sliced through the hull of the tanker, causing thousands of litres of jet fuel to spill into the sea and forcing sailors from both vessels to abandon ship.

The Russian embassy in London earlier said: ‘The embassy has been monitoring the situation around the collision of two ships in the North Sea on March 10 from the very first minutes .

‘Consular staff are in close contact with the British competent authorities.

‘During this time, local authorities have not received any information about the presence of Russian citizens on board these vessels, or about other Russians injured as a result of this accident.’

The Russian embassy in London said: ‘As of March 14, additional information has emerged regarding the Russian citizens from the crew of the Solong vessel, flying the Portuguese flag, which collided with the Stena Immaculate tanker flying the US flag in the North Sea on March 10.

‘According to the ship owner, the Solong crew includes five citizens of the Russian Federation.

‘Among them is the ship’s captain, who was detained by the competent authorities of the United Kingdom and is currently under investigation.

All crew members from among Russian citizens are alive, they did not receive injuries as a result of the incident, and the sailors’ condition does not cause concern.

‘On the evening of March 13, diplomats from the consular section of the Embassy held a detailed telephone conversation with the captain of the vessel.

‘According to him, he feels well.

‘The Russian citizen has been provided with an interpreter and a lawyer, with whom our employees also maintain constant contact.

‘The Embassy is in close contact with the British competent authorities, including with the police station where the ship’s captain is currently being held, as well as with the wife of our compatriot.’

Salvage companies boarded the two vessels on Thursday and were carrying out initial damage assessments, the coastguard said, adding that small fires were still being reported on the Solong’s top deck.

Police said extensive lines of inquiry were continuing but it was taking time given the vessels were still at sea and there were a large number of witnesses involved.

A handful of the American crew of the Stena Immaculate spoke about what happened but asked not to be identified.

They were so close to the flames as they boarded the lifeboat that some suffered singed hair. Thankfully all survived without serious injury. One member of the Solong crew is missing presumed dead.

One crewman said: ‘Yesterday was a bad start to the day, but it ended gloriously. Why? All 23 of us got off the ship without anybody being in it.’ Adding that he was ‘pleased to be alive.’

Asked about his actions immediately after the tanker carrying a cargo of jet fuel burst into flames, he said: ‘I did have time to think. I ran through the procedures. Because if I hadn’t had time to think, we wouldn’t have survived.

‘We drilled, we trained, we prepared for the unprepared. We do emergency prep non-stop. Regardless of outside uncontrollable forces.’

Another American crewman told CBS news how the other ship ‘came from out of the blue.’

He said he was near the section of the Stena Immaculate where the Solong made its impact and that he had only seconds to react when he heard shouts to brace before impact.

All of a sudden ‘a massive ship came from out of the blue,’ he said.

The Solong continued to drive into the ship for about 10 minutes after initial impact, according to witnesses.