A regional emergency has been declared in Sevastopol, Crimea, after oil from two tankers, which spilled into the Kerch Strait nearly three weeks ago, washed ashore. The spill, which occurred approximately 250 kilometers from Sevastopol, has impacted local beaches and prompted coordinated cleanup efforts by authorities and volunteers.
Sevastopol’s Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev confirmed the discovery of oil on four beaches and assured the public that the spill was “promptly eliminated.” He stressed that the pollution did not constitute a widespread contamination of the city’s coastline. Despite this, the spill continues to affect other areas in Crimea, including Russia’s Krasnodar region, where a region-wide emergency was declared earlier. Governor Veniamin Kondratyev reported that nearly 7,000 personnel are still working on the cleanup, with over 96,000 tons of contaminated sand and soil removed from the shoreline.
The oil spill began after one tanker ran aground and another was left damaged and adrift. Initial estimates by Russian authorities suggest that up to 200,000 tons of mazut, a heavy and low-quality oil product, may have been affected. Russian President Vladimir Putin has labeled the incident an “ecological disaster.”
The Kerch Strait, which separates Crimea from Russia’s Krasnodar region, is a vital global shipping route, connecting the Sea of Azov with the Black Sea. The area has been a focal point of geopolitical tension ever since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. Ukraine has challenged Russia’s actions in the region through international legal channels.
The spill has drawn condemnation from international figures, including Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who called for further sanctions on Russian tankers in light of the environmental damage.
