▁turned ▁out ▁to ▁be ▁highly ▁important ▁during ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁when ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁railway ▁lines ▁connecting ▁the ▁C au cas us ▁with ▁Central ▁Russia ▁were ▁cut ▁by ▁enemy ▁action ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁Fif ty - n ine ▁of ▁the ▁company ' s ▁b arg es ▁were ▁s unk ▁or ▁dam aged ▁during ▁the ▁war , ▁primarily ▁by ▁Luft wa ffe ' s ▁bomb s ▁and ▁mines , ▁with ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁ 1 2 3 ▁sail ors . ▁ ▁So on ▁after ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁company ▁also ▁started ▁transport ing ▁oil ▁from ▁Russia ' s ▁so - called ▁" Second ▁B aku " ▁- ▁the ▁oil ▁fields ▁in ▁Bash ki ria ▁and ▁eastern ▁T atar stan . ▁As ▁oil ▁ref iner ies ▁were ▁built ▁along ▁the ▁Vol ga ▁and ▁its ▁trib ut aries ▁( e . g . ▁at ▁U fa , ▁K st ovo , ▁and ▁Sy z ran ), ▁their ▁products , ▁too , ▁were ▁taken ▁to ▁the ▁mark ets ▁throughout ▁Russia ▁by ▁Vol got ank er . ▁The ▁Vol ga - B alt ic ▁Water way ▁and ▁Vol ga - Don ▁Canal ▁made ▁it ▁possible ▁to ▁deliver ▁oil ▁and ▁oil ▁products ▁to ▁Soviet ▁ports ▁on ▁the ▁Balt ic , ▁Az ov ▁and ▁Black ▁Se as ▁as ▁well . ▁As ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁the ▁company ▁transport ed ▁ 3 ▁million ▁metric ▁tons ▁of ▁oil ▁and ▁oil ▁products ▁per ▁year . ▁That ▁year , ▁Vol got ank er ▁boats ▁also