One of the worst ecological disasters in the region in years has been caused by the oil spill following the sinking of two tankers in the Black Sea, now covering almost 50 kilometers of coastline.

According to Russian authorities, the oil spill extends across 49 kilometers of coastline. The most severely affected areas are seaside resorts in the Krasnodar region in the country’s southwest.

The spill, triggered by the sinking of two tankers in the Kerch Strait near annexed Crimea, has resulted in extensive pollution on sandy beaches along the Black Sea coast. It has contaminated the air and endangered wildlife in what is being described as one of the worst environmental catastrophes to strike the area in years.

BREAKING: Third Volgoneft tanker carrying fuel oil issues distress signal in the Black Sea

A Volgoneft tanker in the Kerch Strait has issued a distress signal, carrying 4,000 tons of fuel oil. The vessel was near Port Kavkaz, near the site of two similar ship sinkings on… https://t.co/oraS45v7r6 pic.twitter.com/52wGs7usy8

— Pvt. Sakarium 𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰰🇹🇷 🇦🇿 (@PvtSakarium) December 18, 2024

Approximately 4,000 volunteers are participating in the cleanup of the coastline near the resort town of Anapa. The oil spill resulted from the destruction of two tankers during a storm on Sunday, according to regional officials.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that the cleanup operation is taking place along 49 kilometers of the coastline.

About 80 tons of oil have already been recovered.

“Altogether, 49 kilometers of coastline are being cleaned in the areas of Temryuk and Anapa,” popular seaside resorts in the Krasnodar region, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations stated in an announcement. “Around 80 tons of oil have been recovered since the beginning of the operation,” the statement added.

Several videos posted on social media show birds staggering in the oil, flapping their wings, and struggling to fly. Black oil stains are also visible along the coastline.

“It’s impossible to breathe; I thought my car was emitting smoke…The oil has reached us. I can’t go any further. This is oil, oil, oil,” a man is heard saying in a video posted on social media. Reuters could not verify the video, which shows the aftermath of the fuel spill along the shoreline.

The affected tankers, both over 50 years old, were reportedly carrying a total of approximately 9,200 metric tons (62,000 barrels) of petroleum products, according to the TASS news agency. However, the full extent of the spill remains unknown.

The ships were located in the Kerch Strait between mainland Russia and Crimea—annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014—when they sent distress signals.

All that oil spilling from three Russian tankers—part of its shadow fleet—isn’t just heading to Russia; it’s polluting the entire Black Sea. This could turn into one of the region’s worst ecological disasters. Honestly, does this country ever brings anything good to the world? pic.twitter.com/yg65R5zVzC

— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) December 17, 2024

Emergency Declared in Several Areas

The TASS news agency reported yesterday that a third tanker had issued a distress signal. However, its hull was intact, with no oil leakage, and the crew was safe.

Russian authorities have declared a state of emergency in several regions, including Anapa, a popular tourist destination near the Sea of Azov.

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, made an appeal for volunteer assistance.

“Anapa is battling the oil spill, trying to save the beaches—the famous golden sand beaches that attract hundreds of thousands of tourists each year,” she wrote on her Telegram channel.

“The city authorities are working. The Ministry of Emergency Situations is working. But we cannot manage without the help of volunteers.”

On Sunday, two Russian tankers, the Volgoneft-212 and the Volgoneft-239, ran aground during a storm in the Kerch Strait, which separates Russia from the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, annexed in 2014. The first sank, while the second sustained severe damage. One person lost their life, and 26 crew members were rescued, according to government reports.

Oil washed up along #Russia's Black Sea coastline on Tuesday after tankers wrecked in the Kerch Strait. pic.twitter.com/VPy8lTgdsG

— Hespress English (@HespressEnglish) December 18, 2024

On Monday, Ukraine’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources warned of “the threat of a large-scale environmental disaster in the Black Sea.”