December 25, 2024

Cleaning up Kerch Strait Oil Spill


Cleaning up Kerch Strait Oil Spill
Tanker Volgoneft-212 in 2018. Alexxx1979, Wikimedia Commons.

Two ships, the Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, sank on December 15 in the Kerch Strait following a storm. Emergency services said the tankers carried about 9,200 tons of fuel oil, resulting in an oil spill that contaminated miles of shoreline and killed at least 11 dolphins and 125 birds.

Three hours after the incident, authorities began declaring states of emergency in local municipalities affected by the spill. By the end of that hour, emergency declarations were in place in seven populated areas, including the resort town of Anapa.

Emergency personnel from the regional Kuban-SPAS team and the Russian Emergencies Ministry arrived to collect oil along the Black Sea coast. A total of 267 people and 50 equipment units were deployed. On Saturday, December 21, the Russian Emergencies Ministry reported that 34 of the 54 kilometers (22 of the 33 miles) of affected coastline had been cleared, and 12,000 tons of contaminated sand had been collected.

However, according to the independent publication Agentstvo, it was not the emergency personnel, but volunteers who did the most work. They used shovels and scoops to handle the cleanup instead of bulldozers. Due to a lack of equipment, the filled bags were not always removed promptly and may have leaked oil back onto the sand.

A week after the sinking, authorities had yet to begin pumping out the remaining oil from the tankers, said Yevgeny Simonov, an ecologist and member of the international Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group. He noted that weather conditions would have allowed pumping operations to start, but no information on such work has been released. One tanker is aground near the coast, which Simonov said could make pumping the oil easier.

Satellite images taken Friday showed one of two oil slicks located not far from the shore near Anapa, covering an area of about 100 square kilometers (38 square miles). Ecologists from the Prozrachny Mir na Kaspy (Transparent World on the Caspian) project said the wind’s direction raises the likelihood of renewed coastal pollution near Anapa and possible new contamination in Crimea and Taman.

Russian officials have not yet issued an official estimate of the total damage. Ecologist Grigory Kavanovsyan said the spill’s impact could cost anywhere from R30 billion to R50 billion ($300 million to $500 million).

You Might Also Like

A Memory Battle, Won
  • December 22, 2024

A Memory Battle, Won

A statue to the founder of the Soviet secret police has been erected in Khabarovsk.
Ghost of Economy Future
  • December 15, 2024

Ghost of Economy Future

Russian analysts give their forecasts for what the economy might look like in early 2025.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955