Major oil spill washes up on Russia’s Black Sea coast (VIDEO)

Nearly 50km of shoreline is polluted after two tankers were damaged in a storm on Sunday

A major oil spill has contaminated a large stretch along the Black Sea coast in southern Russia’s Krasnodar Region after two tankers were severely damaged in a storm over the weekend. The vessels wrecked in the Kerch Strait between mainland Russia and Crimea.

Krasnodar Region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on Tuesday that fuel oil was found along the sandy coast between the cities of Temryuk and Anapa, popular tourist destinations, stretching for dozens of kilometers.

“This morning, while monitoring the shoreline, stains of fuel oil were discovered. Oil products washed ashore for tens of kilometers,” he said.

Two aging ships – the Volgoneft 212 and Volgoneft 239 – each reportedly carrying about 4,000 tons of mazut, a low-grade heavy fuel oil, ran aground in stormy weather and high winds in the Kerch Strait, the passage that connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov, on Sunday. Powerful waves struck the tankers several kilometers off the Black Sea coast.

Both tankers drifted with a total of 27 crew members on board before running aground, according to reports. One crew member died as a result of the incident.

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Footage from the scene shows one of the ships which broke in half, with its bow completely destroyed. Traces of black liquid – fuel oil – were seen spreading in the sea. 

Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said the clean-up operation stretched along 49km (30 miles) of shoreline, with around 4,000 volunteers involved in the operation.

A state of emergency has been declared at five settlements in Temryuk and Anapa districts due to spilled oil on the shoreline, according to the regional authorities.

Numerous videos posted online show a black, oil-like substance along the coast at Anapa, and tarry stains along a beach.

Kondratev said the oil spill is “removable,” expressing confidence that “there will be no threat to the 2025 resort season.”

Local birdlife has already suffered from the oil spill, with multiple videos showing birds covered in oil. Marine ecosystems are also likely to face severe consequences.

Natural Resources and Ecology Minister Aleksandr Kozlov said on Monday that some of the fuel oil may have sunk to the seabed due to the cold weather.