Oil spill crisis: Russian tanker disaster fouls Black Sea coast
Due to a disaster involving two Russian tankers in the Kerch Strait, dozens of miles of coastline have been contaminated with fuel oil. Residents report animals dying in patches of the oil, and beaches have become flooded with petroleum products.
1:02 PM EST, December 17, 2024
According to Izvestia daily, both ships should have been decommissioned 10 to 15 years ago, and one did not have the necessary documentation.
Crisis center and state of emergency
The governor of Krasnodar Krai, Veniamin Kondratyev, reported the disaster. He reached out for assistance from "federal colleagues" and noted that two crisis centers had been established to combat the effects of the oil spill.
During shoreline monitoring this morning, fuel oil patches were detected along the coast. Petroleum products had washed ashore, spanning several dozen miles from the town of Vesiolovka in the Temryuk district to the settlement of Blagoveshchenka in Anapa. In response, the governor ordered the establishment of crisis centers in two municipalities, led by local authorities. Currently, 267 rescue workers are on-site, utilizing 50 pieces of equipment. The governor assured that additional resources and personnel would be deployed if needed.
Local blogger Yuri Ozarowski mentioned in an interview with the "Agency" that the scale of the pollution is much larger, and fuel oil patches are already visible in Anapa Bay.
He explained that the patch drifts with the current toward the central beach and is expected to reach Anapa Bay within a few hours. He warned that this could lead to a significant disaster, as the substance would likely settle on the seabed in that area.
"Pearl of Russia" flooded with fuel oil
According to the Azov-Black Sea Environmental Prosecutor's Office, petroleum products were found on the shore near Vesiolovka, the settlement of Blagoveshchenka, and at the mouth of the River Mezypse, confirming Ozarowski's reports. Residents are posting photos and videos on social media of animals covered in fuel oil. One recording shows the "Pearl of Russia" beach flooded with fuel oil. According to the SHOT channel, over 1.1 million gallons of fuel oil leaked into the Black Sea.
A local state of emergency has been declared in the Temryuk and Anapa regions due to the oil spill's consequences.
Fuel oil is a heavy petroleum product that remains a residue after distilling crude oil. It is a thick, oily liquid with a dark brown or black color, often used as fuel in industry and transportation.
Tanker disaster in the Black Sea
Recall that on Sunday, December 15th, during a storm in the Kerch Strait, a disaster occurred involving the tankers Volgoneft 212 and Volgoneft 239. As a result, there was a fuel oil spill, which—according to Greenpeace experts—may result in the largest ecological disaster in the history of the Black Sea. Preliminary data indicates that over 1.1 million gallons of petroleum products may have leaked into the sea (both ships carried over 2.4 million gallons of fuel).
