Great oil spill strikes large stretch of Russia`s Black Sea coast
Date
12/20/2024 3:00:12 PM
(MENAFN) A significant oil spill has struck a large stretch of Russia's Black Sea coast in the Krasnodar Region after two tankers were severely damaged during a storm over the weekend. The incident occurred in the Kerch Strait, which separates mainland Russia from Crimea.
Krasnodar Region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev confirmed on Tuesday that fuel oil had washed up along the sandy beaches between the cities of Temryuk and Anapa, popular tourist areas. The spill was found to stretch for dozens of kilometers.
The two aging tankers, Volgoneft 212 and Volgoneft 239, each carrying around 4,000 tons of mazut (a heavy, low-grade fuel oil), ran aground in stormy weather and high winds on Sunday. The tankers, caught in powerful waves several kilometers from the coast, had been drifting with 27 crew members aboard before being grounded. One crew member died in the incident.
Footage from the scene shows one of the tankers breaking in half, with its bow completely destroyed and traces of black fuel oil spreading in the water. Russia’s Emergencies Ministry reported that the clean-up operation spans 49 kilometers (30 miles) of shoreline, with around 4,000 volunteers involved.
A state of emergency has been declared in five settlements in the Temryuk and Anapa districts due to the oil contamination along the coast. Numerous videos shared online show the black, oil-like substance along the beach at Anapa, with tarry stains visible on the sand.
Kondratyev reassured the public that the oil spill is "removable" and expressed optimism that it will not affect the resort season in 2025. However, local wildlife, especially birds, has already been affected, with several videos showing birds covered in oil. Marine ecosystems are also expected to suffer severe damage. Natural Resources and Ecology Minister Aleksandr Kozlov stated that some of the oil might have sunk to the seabed due to the cold weather.
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