Fuel oil sank to the bottom, but did not disappear: environmentalists warn of new emissions in Crimea

A year ago, after the accident of two Russian Volgoneft tankers in the Kerch Strait, fuel oil reached the Crimean coast for the first time. Environmentalists have suggested that most of the fuel oil sank to the bottom after the accident and moved along the coast for a long time with the bottom currents.

Krym. Realities.

No fuel oil in sight, but the threat remains

As noted in the publication, activists of the Green Route environmental initiative surveyed the Crimean coast twice - six months and a year after the accident. They chose areas along the entire coast for monitoring, trying to cover different regions of the peninsula. Preference was given to sparsely populated places where pollution is not cleaned up quickly, unlike popular beaches.

During the inspections, no visible traces of fuel oil were found on the coast. Also, in most cases, no obvious changes in coastal ecosystems were detected. Environmentalists attribute the violations they observed not to oil products but to natural factors, such as the drying up of water bodies.

At the same time, the activists emphasized that only laboratory tests of soil and marine life could provide a complete picture of the consequences. However, public environmentalists do not have the resources to do so, and the topic of fuel oil pollution has become dangerous after the persecution of environmental activists in Crimea.

The delayed effect of the disaster

Despite the absence of new visible spots, in October 2025, oil emissions were again recorded on the southern and western coasts of Crimea. Environmentalists believe that this is a manifestation of a delayed effect - the result of upwelling, when cold deep waters rise to the surface.

According to their version, the bulk of the fuel oil settled to the bottom after the accident and moved along the coast from east to west for a long time along with bottom currents. In the summer, the "body" of fuel oil could remain at depths of 90-150 meters, and partially sink even deeper, to the level of 500-1500 meters, which in this area is located relatively close to the shore.

Due to the low water temperature at these depths, the fuel oil did not rise to the surface. However, the gradual heating of the upper layers and the absence of severe storms only delayed its release.

Storm as a trigger for new emissions

The environmentalists' hypothesis was confirmed in the fall of 2025. After the first severe storm in October, fuel oil washed ashore again, from Alupka to Yevpatoria. Pollution of the Kalamita Bay and the death of seabirds were recorded.

It is not known exactly how much fuel oil remains on the bottom of the Black Sea near Crimea. There is no open data, and estimates are complicated by contradictory information about the amount of oil products that have entered the water. At the same time, environmentalists are convinced that there is much more fuel oil than marine microorganisms can process, as some of its components are practically not naturally degradable.

Experts have warned that the combination of water warming, upwelling and storms may continue to lead to repeated releases of oil products to the coast. In addition, there is a threat of hidden pollution - fuel oil can remain on the bottom or in the water column for years, gradually poisoning the Black Sea ecosystems and causing long-term environmental damage.

In December last year, inspectors from the State Environmental Inspectorate of the Southwestern District detected fuel oil contamination on the Black Sea coast in Odesa Oblast, which is likely to be due to leaks from the Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 tankers.

Анна Бальчінос