Massive Russian Oil Spill Spreads Across Black Sea, Threatens Crimea’s Coast

A significant oil spill has occurred near Russia’s port of Novorossiysk, with a slick of petroleum products now drifting toward the occupied Crimean peninsula, according to Russian media reports and satellite data.

The incident took place on August 29 during cargo operations involving a tanker at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) marine terminal. Following the leak, the CPC suspended operations at one of its three remote mooring units.

Initial estimates based on satellite imagery as of August 30 suggested a spill area of approximately 75 square kilometers and a discharge volume of 4–5 tonnes.

However, updated assessments now indicate that the slick has grown to around 350 square kilometers, with a minimum estimated volume exceeding 10 tonnes.

According to Sergey Stanichny, a specialist in remote sensing working with Russia’s Maritime Rescue Service, the contamination is currently concentrated west of the resort town of Anapa, in Krasnodar Krai.

Experts anticipate the possibility of oil product residues washing ashore north of Anapa. The main body of the slick is drifting south of the Kerch Strait in the direction of Crimea.

The updated figures mark a substantial increase in the assessed environmental impact of the spill, though Russian authorities have not released detailed mitigation or containment plans. Satellite monitoring continues to track the movement of the slick through the northeastern Black Sea.

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War in Ukraine

Russia Keeps Violating Maritime Law, Leaving a Toxic Oil Spill Trail

Dec 17, 2024 15:01

Earlier, on December 15, a collision between two Russian oil tankers in the Kerch Strait caused a spill of approximately 4,000 tons of fuel oil, triggering an ecological crisis along the Black Sea coast.

The incident led to widespread contamination from Crimea to Georgia, with ongoing damage to marine life, including dolphins and endangered seabirds. Cleanup efforts have been hampered by storms and criticized as insufficient by local volunteers and environmental groups.

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