Locals are talking about "oil rain", dangerous to human health, and there are already dying birds in the area contaminated with oil products. What is happening in the Russian ports of Anapa and Tuapse?
Satellite images near the Russian port of Tuapse on the Black Sea on April 19 revealed an oil spill of about 10,000 square meters. It is assumed that it is the result of Ukrainian drone attacks on the Tuapse refinery carried out three days earlier. Local authorities are working to locate the spill, not far from which another one was discovered - with an area of 117 sq. km.
However, this did not prevent Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratiev from reporting to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the resort infrastructure is fully ready for the tourist season. Local authorities have removed some of the beaches, including one for children, from the designated "danger zones", and tour operators have resumed accepting applications.
Volunteers: an emergency ecological situation
Volunteers involved in cleaning up the Russian Black Sea coast have announced that they are seeking assistance in saving the birds affected by the oil products. "There is an urgent need for more volunteers and the most ordinary things - detergents and gloves", read messages on Telegram. A video of dozens of birds covered in oil products was also published.
There is currently no accurate data on how much and what exactly has polluted the Russian coast. Attention is focused mainly on Anapa, where a large oil slick was discovered. Ecologist Roman Pukalov reported on his Telegram channel that no less than 800 birds were injured and killed there in the first week after the attacks. According to him, it is possible that heavy fuel oil leaked into the sea.
Meanwhile, local residents are reporting "oil rain" - black particles that fall on the city along with precipitation. In addition, birds stained with oil products have begun to be found on the coast near Tuapse. “This is just the beginning”, wrote Pukalov on his Telegram channel.
What is the scale of the Black Sea pollution?
The operational headquarters of the Krasnodar region reported in mid-April that Russian scientists positively assessed the restoration of the seabed after the fuel oil spill - it was being carried out at “good pace”. At the same time, the Nature Protection Service emphasizes that the fuel oil cannot be completely collected, since fuel continues to leak from one of the sunken tankers. Ecologists estimate that it may take more than three years to completely clean up the region.
Evgeny Simonov from the Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group expressed the opinion to DW that while there is still heavy fuel oil in the sea, it is irresponsible to open the resort season. According to him, this time the same beaches of Anapa are polluted as in 2024. “It will not get better if the dirty sand is covered with clean sand for the sake of tourists.”
According to the environmental project “Transparent World”, the alleged source of the oil spill may have been the tanker “Sofia”, which was in the area of the leak on the night of April 7. The project also says that in recent days the situation has been favorable for the coast - the oil products are drifting southwest to the open sea. “At the same time, a new hot spot has emerged in the Tuapse region, where there is already a real threat of pollution of the coast."
The authorities want to open the resort season
Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Saveliev had stated that over 90 percent of the fuel oil has been collected, the water is suitable for use, and the beaches can be opened on June 1. The regional authorities, for their part, announced that by the beginning of summer they will cover the coast with an additional layer of sand. And tour operators report an increase in reservations - from 30 percent and up compared to last year.
However, environmentalists remind us of the health risks of petroleum products. “Greenpeace" expert Anna Ezhak pointed out to DW that fuel oil fumes are toxic, can cause allergic reactions and breathing problems, and in contact with the skin - inflammation. However, one of the volunteers working on the beach in Anapa noted to the DW that the current spill is less severe and toxic than the one in 2024. Ecologist Roman Pukalov also believes so. He adds that the wind is carrying the new spill from Anapa to the open sea, and the scale of the impact of the previous spills in the Kerch Strait has decreased compared to the initial stage of the disaster.