10 tons of oil spilled in the port of Russia approaches Crimea

An oil slick of about 10 tons is moving toward the annexed Crimea after a spill in the port of Novorossiysk. Volunteers and environmentalists are recording the pollution of the Krasnodar Territory coast and preparing to save birds and marine animals.

This was reported by Krym.Realii.

According to Greenpeace representatives, the spill occurred during the loading of oil products on the Turkish tanker T.Semahat in the Black Sea through the hoses of the remote mooring device of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC).

Satellite images showed that the oil slick initially covered an area of about 50 square kilometers. In three days, it spread from Novorossiysk along the coast of Anapa and approached the Kerch Strait. Greenpeace expert Dmitry Markin noted that such accidents demonstrate that in Russia, environmental safety is often sacrificed for the oil business.

Sergei Stanychny, a specialist in remote sensing methods, said that the slick contains at least 10 tons of oil and is localized to the west of Anapa. According to him, approaching the Kerch Strait, the oil slick broke up into several parts, the film thickness is less than a micron, so it will gradually evaporate and dissolve.

Nevertheless, the effects of the spill are already noticeable on the coast of the Krasnodar Territory. The 70 km long beaches are covered with a thin layer of oil products, Anapa smells like diesel fuel, and traces of chemical burns remain on bird feathers and skin. Volunteers and rehabilitation centers have recorded the death of many birds, fish and other marine life. Environmentalists have emphasized that oil products are much more dangerous than fuel oil: they completely penetrate the feathers and skin, causing chemical burns and endangering dolphins.

A local historian and guide from Sudak said that the news of the approaching oil slick is already changing the plans of tourists: many vacationers are leaving resorts earlier. He also noted that environmentalists are ready to rescue the affected birds again, while the authorities are repeating last year's tactic of silence.

Ukrainian scientists have confirmed that a fuel oil spill from Russian tankers in the Kerch Strait in December 2024 caused large-scale pollution of the Black Sea. Following the tragedy in the Kerch Strait, an international group of experts was set up to study the consequences of the oil spill from the two vessels. Fuel oil reached the coasts of Turkey, Georgia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine.

In January 2025, fuel oil clots were found on the coast of Odesa region, and mass deaths of birds covered with oil residues were reported in Turkey and Georgia. According to the KSE, about 85% of Russian crude oil is now transported by tankers of the so-called "shadow fleet" - old ships without international insurance that transport oil in circumvention of sanctions.

Анна Літман