Russia continues to carry out an extensive operation and cleaning work in the Kerch Strait, located in the Black Sea, following the oil spill caused by two of its vessels last December.
According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the accident released 3,700 tons of fuel, severely contaminating the area.
This strait is not only a vital maritime route connecting the Sea of Azov with the Black Sea, but also represents an important focus of geopolitical conflict between Russia and Ukraine since the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014.
The incident involved the tankers Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, which were caught in a strong storm. One of them broke in half and sank, causing the death of a crew member, while the other ran aground and started leaking oil into the environment.
Response and costs of the cleanup efforts in Russia
Since then, the Russian government has reported that 418.7 kilometers of coastline have been cleaned and more than 154,300 tons of contaminated sand and soil have been removed. According to data provided by Rospotrebnadzor, the environmental control agency, the cost of the cleanup efforts already exceeds 913 million euros. President Vladimir Putin described the spill as a true “ecological disaster.”
The environmental impact is so severe that Viktor Danilov-Danilyan, a respected Russian scientist, has described the spill as one of the worst “environmental disasters in the country in the 21st century.” Meanwhile, Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, described the incident as a “large-scale environmental disaster” and called for additional sanctions against the responsible Russian tankers.
Implications and perspectives
In addition to the immediate damage to the ecosystem of the Kerch Strait, the oil spill endangers marine biodiversity and severely affects the coastal communities in the region.
The magnitude of the disaster reinforces the need to implement stricter measures for prevention, control, and regulation in maritime activities, especially in routes that are so strategic and environmentally fragile.
While Russia has made significant cleanup efforts, the situation highlights the vulnerabilities that still exist in environmental protection against industrial and natural disasters.
Have you checked out our YouTube channel yet? Subscribe now!
