Oil slick of about 10 sq km recorded in waters near entrance to Kerch Strait
An oil slick of about 10 square kilometers has been recorded in the waters near the entrance to the Kerch Strait after the accident of two Russian tankers, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Svitlana Hrynchuk said.
"On December 31, the Sentinel-1 satellite received a picture of the area near the Kerch Strait. In the waters near the entrance to the Kerch Strait from the Black Sea, in the area of the settlement of Volna (Krasnodar Krai, Russia), a spot characteristic of oil pollution was recorded, with an area of approximately 10 square kilometers. An additional spot with an area of about three square kilometers was discovered at a distance of 28-30 kilometers south of Cape Opuk. A significant amount of fuel oil reached the southern coast of Crimea," the ministry said in the Telegram channel, citing its minister.
According to Hrynchuk, there is currently information about injured birds in the cities of Koktebel, Alushta, Hurzuf and in the Anapa area.
On December 15, two Russian tankers, Volgoneft 212 and Volgoneft 239, were reported sinking in the Kerch Strait. There were 13 and 14 people on board the tankers, respectively. Rescuers evacuated 13 crew members of Volgoneft 212, but one of them died. The tankers were transporting fuel oil. An oil spill was also recorded in the sea.
On December 17, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Hrynchuk said the preliminary damage as a result of the wreck of two tankers in the Kerch Strait could reach $14 billion.