Fuel spill in Kerch Strait kills 32 dolphins amid conflict

The Kerch Strait between Russia and Crimea, which Russia annexed, is a key shipping route connecting the Sea of Azov with the Black Sea.

Since mid-December, 61 dead dolphins have been found, but the condition of their remains indicates that 29 of them died before the fuel oil spill. In the summer of 2022, Ukrainian biologist Ivan Rusev estimated that in the initial months of the Russian invasion, over 5,000 dolphins died in the Black Sea, representing 2% of the entire population of these mammals. Rusev explained that the sea washes up no more than 5% of dead animals on the shore, while the rest sink to the bottom.

Since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014, the Kerch Strait has been a critical point of conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In 2016, Ukraine sued Russia at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, accusing it of attempting to take control of the area illegally. In 2021, Russia closed the strait for several months. Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, called for additional sanctions on Russian tankers.

The ecological disaster in the Kerch Strait occurred in mid-December. Two Russian tankers split in half due to a storm, releasing thousands of tons of fuel oil. Greenpeace warns that Russia's militarization of the region increases the risk of such incidents, and the current situation poses a serious threat of coastal pollution.

As a result of the tanker incident, approximately 220,000 tons of soil were contaminated. Russian authorities report that around 40% of the cargo leaked into the sea, but NGOs suggest the scale may be larger.

Russian-controlled tankers are old, worn-out, and often faulty. This increases the likelihood of further incidents that could again pollute the environment. Western countries and organizations like Greenpeace call for increased scrutiny and sanctions on Russian maritime practices to prevent more disasters.