Russian captain pleads not guilty to manslaughter in North Sea collision

The Russian captain of a container ship that crashed into a US oil tanker in the North Sea has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of a crew member.

The Solong’s master, Vladimir Motin, 59, of Primorsky, St Petersburg, is accused of the unlawful killing of crew member Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, in the collision off the East Yorkshire coast on March 10.

Appearing via videolink from HMP Hull at the Old Bailey, Motin confirmed his identity at the plea hearing before Judge Mark Lucraft KC on Friday morning.

Assisted by a Russian interpreter, Motin pleaded not guilty to a single charge of the manslaughter of Filipino national Mr Pernia.

Judge Lucraft set a further hearing on September 10 ahead of the defendant’s trial on January 12, 2026.

Motin was charged over Mr Pernia’s death after his vessel collided with the American tanker Stena Immaculate near the Humber Estuary on March 10.

Smoke rises from the MV Solong cargo ship in the North Sea, off the coast of Withernsea, east of England, after it collided with the MV Stena Immaculate tanker on March 10 (AFP via Getty Images)All 23 people on the tanker were rescued along with 13 crew from the Solong, but Mr Pernia could not be located.

Mr Pernia was working on the forward deck of the Solong, in an area where there was an explosion.

The collision happened at about 9.47am at 10.2 nautical miles from the nearest point on the coast, a previous hearing was told.

The 140m-long Solong is Portuguese-registered and was carrying about 157 containers.

The Stena Immaculate is 183m long and was carrying jet fuel. It anchored at the point of the collision about 15 hours before the impact.

The Solong was travelling at about 15 knots when it hit the port side of the other vessel.