Photo: Depositphotos
The accident of two Russian tankers , Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, in the Kerch Strait on 15 December 2024 resulted in the largest fuel oil leak in the history of Black Sea navigation. According to preliminary estimates, more than 4,000 tonnes of fuel oil entered the water, causing a serious environmental disaster. Total losses are already estimated at $14 billion.
Spread of contamination
According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, the Kerch Strait, as well as the southern and western coasts of Crimea, were the most affected. Fuel oil slicks were also found on the coast of Odesa region, including the territories of the Lyman, Tuzly and Serhiyivka communities.
Since Russia has not provided official information on the scale of the disaster, Ukrainian experts from the Ukrainian Research Centre for Marine Ecology (UkrSCME) used satellite images, media reports and mathematical models to estimate the spread of pollution.
Based on the results of research:
– After 15 January, largeoil slicks west of Crimea were no longer observed.
– Fuel oil residues graduallysettle on the seabed or wash up on the coast, which poses a threat to benthic organisms, an important element of the food chain for marine fish.
– In the water area from Odesa to the Danube, no excessiveconcentrations of oil products have been recorded so far, but monitoring is ongoing.
Fuel oil collection and environmental impacts
Since the end of January, fuel oil clots have been appearing on the coast of Odesa region:
– Liman community: 170 kg of contaminatedsubstance ( 17.8 kg of oil products) was removed.
– Tuzly community: 0.95 kg collected ( 0.5 kg of oil products).
– Serhiyivka community: 109 kg of fuel oilwas collected.
Environmentalists are concerned about the long-term consequences for the marine ecosystem. Russian media have reported massive deaths of birds and dolphins offthe coast of occupied Crimea. No cases of animal deaths due to pollution have been recorded on Ukrainian territory so far.
Recommendations for the public
The Ministry of Environmental Protection of Ukraine urges citizens to follow safety rules:
– Do not touchfuel oil clotsor other unknown substances without protective equipment.
– Do not attempt to rescue injuredanimals on your own.
– Reportany contamination or injured animals to the StateService of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, the State Environmental Inspectorate orlocal authorities.
International reaction
Despite the scale of the disaster, Russia has not provided official information to Ukraine or other countries in the Black Sea region. Environmentalists demand an urgent international investigation and assessment of the impact of the disaster on the Black Sea ecosystem.
