- A major oil spill from two storm-stricken tankers continues to spread in the Kerch Strait.
- Over 155,000 tons of contaminated material have been collected so far.
- Ukraine criticizes Russia for delayed action in addressing the environmental disaster.
The oil spill in the Kerch Strait, which began over a month ago, is worsening despite ongoing cleanup efforts. The Russian emergency task force, headed by Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov, has been deployed to contain the damage.
Fuel oil is still leaking from the Volgoneft-239 tanker, and authorities are working to pump out the remaining oil.
Kerch Strait Oil Spill: Russia Mobilizes Emergency Response as Environmental Impact Grows
The spill has spread beyond Russian-controlled areas, reaching the Berdyansk Spit in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, and the shores of Sevastopol in Crimea. Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of taking too long to act, calling the situation an environmental disaster that calls for international sanctions on Russian tankers.
Over the past month, over 155,000 tons of contaminated sand and soil have been collected, but the cleanup efforts are far from over. The spread of mazut, a low-quality oil product, has reached areas as far as the Berdyansk Spit, located 145 kilometers from the Kerch Strait. Russian-appointed officials in Crimea have also declared a regional emergency.
The geopolitical tension between Russia and Ukraine has only intensified the fallout, with Ukraine accusing Russia of responding too late. Ukrainian officials argue that Russia has ignored the magnitude of the environmental threat and is now struggling to contain the damage. Calls for more international intervention are mounting.
The spill has highlighted the environmental vulnerability of the Kerch Strait, which is an essential shipping route between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. As Russia scrambles to address the spill, the long-term ecological consequences remain uncertain, and regional tensions are likely to complicate further efforts.
The ongoing oil spill in the Kerch Strait poses severe environmental risks, and the delayed response from Russian authorities has sparked criticism. Its impact is widespread, and the situation remains dire.
Heorhii Tykhyi, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, accused Russia of only addressing the spill “when the scale of the disaster became too obvious to conceal.”
