The Russian captain of a container ship that crashed into a US oil tanker in the North Sea after sailing from Grangemouth has pled not guilty to the manslaughter of a crew member.
The Solong’s master, Vladimir Motin, 59, of Primorsky, St Petersburg, is charged over the death of crew member Mark Angelo Pernia, 38.
Motin denied the charge during a hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday.
Assisted by a Russian interpreter, Motin confirmed his identity before he pleaded not guilty to a single charge of the manslaughter of Filipino national Mr Pernia on March 10.
Judge Lucraft set a further hearing on September 10 ahead of the defendant’s trial on January 12, 2026.
The Solong left Grangemouth before being involved in a fatal collision with the American tanker Stena Immaculate off the coast of Yorkshire on March 10.
All 23 people on the tanker were rescued along with 13 crew from the Solong, but Mr Pernia – a 38-year-old Filipino – could not be located.
Mr Pernia was working in the forward deck of the Solong, in the 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.
It has since been towed to Aberdeen.
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