The oil spill that has affected southwest Russia and annexed Crimea since mid-December has reached Sevastopol, the largest city on this peninsula. Two cargo ships were wrecked in the Black Sea on Sunday December 15, in the Kerch Strait between Russia and Crimea.
The oil spill in Russia and Crimea continues to expand and now reaches the city of Sevastopol, the historic base of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea and a major tourist destination for Russians. “ A small oil slick measuring 1.5×1.5 meters reached Sevastopol today (Friday, Editor's note) and was discovered at the entrance to Balaklava Bay », indicated on Telegram the governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvojaïev. He ordered the slick to be cleaned and accompanied his message with a video showing a black stain floating on the water.
According to the governor, “ sporadic cases » birds covered in fuel oil have also been discovered in other areas of Crimea. “So far, only a few birds have been found. If the situation worsens, we will deploy additional collection points and volunteers “, he clarified.
On December 15, 2024, two Russian tankers, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, ran aground during a storm in the Kerch Strait between Russia and Crimea. These ships were carrying 9,200 tonnes of fuel oil, around 40% of which may have spilled into the sea.
In southwest Russia, the beaches of Anapa, a popular seaside resort, were also affected.
Read more on RFI