Tanker M/T Mersin, which frequently visited port of Novorossiysk, is sinking off coast of Senegal. VIDEO

Footage posted on social media shows the tanker M/T Mersin sinking off the coast of Senegal.

According to Censor.NET, the tanker has ties to the Russian oil trade: in August, it called at the port of Taman, after which it headed for Africa and remained stationary for an extended period.

Incidents involving Russian tankers carrying Russian oil are causing concern due to the risks associated with the ageing and poor technical condition of the vessels of the so-called "shadow fleet".