Oil spill spreads across Russian Black Sea coast after tankers damaged in storm
Moscow: Oil from two damaged tankers has washed ashore along "tens of kilometres" of the Russian Black Sea coast following a storm over the weekend, Reuters reported citing a regional official.
State media reported that a third tanker was also in distress but had not spilled oil, and its crew was safe.
According to TASS news agency, the third vessel, Volgoneft 109, issued a distress signal but remained intact and was safely stationed near the port of Kavkaz in the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov.
The first tanker, Volgoneft 212, broke in two on Sunday in the strait, while the second, Volgoneft 239, ran aground 80 metres from the shore near Taman.
Both vessels, each over 50 years old, were carrying a combined 9,200 metric tons (62,000 barrels) of oil products, raising concerns about a significant environmental disaster in the region.
Reuters said it reviewed a certificate which revealed that the third tanker was built in 1973 and belonged to the same ageing fleet.
Veniamin Kondratyev, governor of the Krasnodar region, stated that fuel oil had been detected along the coastline stretching between Temryuk and Anapa.
Authorities have declared a local state of emergency in four settlements in the Temryuk district and one village in the Anapa district.
Footage shared by Zvezda TV revealed black oil-like substances on the Anapa coast and tarry stains scattered across a beach littered with tree branches. TASS, citing a scientist, highlighted that the nearby Kerch Strait is a critical habitat for migrating dolphins and other marine mammals.
"You can say they hit a key place," said Dmitry Glazov of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution.
A video aired by state broadcaster Vesti showed birds coated in oil struggling to fly, flapping their wings feebly.
The Kerch Strait, which also serves as a vital export route for Russian grain and fuel products, faces potential long-term environmental repercussions.
Russia's Natural Resources Ministry reported a fuel oil leak into the sea, with the extent of the spill still unclear. Minister Alexander Kozlov noted that cold weather might have caused some oil to sink to the seabed. Sunday's incident left one crew member of the Volgoneft 212 dead, while all 14 aboard the Volgoneft 239 were rescued.
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