An extensive oil spill has polluted tens of kilometers of the Russian Black Sea coastline following severe storm damage to two aging tankers over the weekend. A third tanker issued a distress signal but remained intact, avoiding further spillage, according to regional officials.
The Volgoneft 212 tanker split in half in the Kerch Strait on Sunday, while the Volgoneft 239 ran aground 80 meters from the shore near the port of Taman. Combined, the two vessels were carrying approximately 9,200 metric tons of oil products, raising fears of one of the region’s worst environmental disasters in years.
Oil contamination has spread over 30 kilometers of beach in the southern Krasnodar region, with fuel oil washing ashore between Temryuk and Anapa. Authorities declared a state of emergency in Anapa and four smaller towns, mobilizing 400 personnel to clean up the spill. Black, tar-like substances coated beaches and stained coastal waters, as captured in video footage.
The environmental impact is significant. The Kerch Strait, a critical habitat for migrating dolphins and other marine life, has been severely affected. Scientists warn of catastrophic consequences for the region’s marine ecosystem.
Local officials reported the spill’s impact on Anapa, a town of 90,000 people. The emergency operations involve shoreline monitoring and efforts to mitigate the damage.
The incident underscores the risks posed by aging infrastructure; the involved tankers were over 50 years old. Ukraine’s environmental ministry has called the accident a potential large-scale ecological disaster with dire implications for the Black Sea’s ecosystem.
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