Two Russian oil tankers wrecked in the Kerch Strait over the weekend, covering about 40 miles of Black Sea coastline with heavy oil.
Several towns along the coast have declared a state of emergency, while furious Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of causing an environmental catastrophe by sending two “old and poorly maintained” ships into rough seas. denounced.
“These ships were nearly 50 years old. They shouldn't have been operating at all, especially in these waters and at this time of year. Now our oceans are in danger of another environmental disaster caused by Russia. “We are facing a crisis,” Zelenskiy said. said on tuesday.
The two vessels in question are 50-year-old tankers. Volgoneft 212 and Volgoneft 239. While sailing through the Kerch Strait, which separates Russian-occupied Crimea from mainland Ukraine, the ship encountered waves up to 8 meters high and winds of 45 miles per hour.
Each ship was loaded with thousands of tons of low-grade fuel oil. known as mazutto. This type of fuel is rarely used in the West, where it is commonly referred to as “waste oil.” Russia and satellite states of the former Soviet Union use mazut more often in boilers and furnaces.
Storm in the Kerch Strait torn apart Volgoneft 212 Broken in half, the horrified crew watched as the bow washed away. According to Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations, one crew member was killed, two were missing, and the remaining 12 were rescued. Two of the rescued crew members are hospitalized in critical condition.
Volgoneft 239 It ran aground off the Russian village of Taman at about the same time its sister ship broke up. The crew were rescued after weather conditions improved.
greenpeace ukraine said On Monday, it was announced that at least 3,700 tonnes of crude oil had spilled from the two ships. This is an even bigger spill than in 2007, when a damaged tanker was flooded with oil on both sides of the Kerch Strait, causing environmental damage that took years to repair.
Dr Paul Johnston, director of the Greenpeace Institute, said: “An oil or petrochemical spill in these waters could be serious.'' said on tuesday.
“It is likely to be caused by prevailing winds and ocean currents and could be very difficult to stop in current weather conditions. If it washes up on shore it will stain the coastline and make it difficult to remove. It's going to be very difficult to do that,” Johnston said.
Another Russian-flagged tanker arrived early Wednesday morning. Volgoneft 109, issued A distress call from the Kerch Strait due to damage to a cargo tank. The third ship also carries about 4,000 tons of mazut. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations claimed that the situation on board the ship was as follows. Volgoneft 109 is “not important”.
Marine scientist Sergey Stranychny said Russia's state-run TASS news agency reported on Wednesday that the sunken ship continued to leak large amounts of oil. Volgoneft 212. Stranychny said the growing oil spill is clearly visible on satellite images.
movie Posted Footage posted on social media over the past few days shows seabirds struggling to survive as pools of black oil appear on the Black Sea coast. Some people who posted videos reported difficulty breathing due to the smoke in the air.
“Anapa is fighting oil spills and protecting beaches famous for their golden sands, which attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. said on wednesday.
“The city authorities are working. The Ministry of Emergencies is working. But they cannot do it without the help of volunteers,” she added.
Anapa is a resort on the Black Sea famous It is characterized by golden beaches. It has been a popular vacation destination for Russians since the Cold War era. About 4,000 local residents are volunteering to help with oil spill recovery efforts, local officials said.
Anapa is located in Krasnodar Oblast, and its governor, Veniamin Kondratyev, said Cleaning operations were hampered by continued bad weather in the Kerch Strait, it was announced on Wednesday.
“The weather is making the situation even more difficult. Storms at sea do not stop, so it is difficult to predict how long it will take to completely clean the coast,” Kondratyev said.
Zelenskiy and other Ukrainian officials accused Russia of using old and unreliable ships to transport dangerous fuel oil cheaply.
“This fleet is one of the biggest threats. Putin is using these tankers to finance his wars, but most of these ships are old, poorly maintained, and without any oversight. The aircraft is operating without any protection,” Zelenskiy said. said on tuesday.
Ukraine's president called on Western leaders to stop Russia's “shadow fleet” with sanctions and “in other ways as well.”
“There are much larger and more dangerous Russian tankers sailing in your seas. This fleet must be stopped. This will not only reduce Russia's war costs, but also protect nature. Probably.''
