The old structures of the Volgoneft-212 and the Volgoneft-239, two Russian tankers approximately 130 meters long, did not withstand the storm. The first, broken in two under the effect of the waves, sank on Sunday December 15, causing the death of one of the crew members, and the second was severely damaged.
More than 3,000 tonnes of fuel oil have already spilled into the waters of the Black Sea, at the entrance to the Kerch Strait, which separates Russia from the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, annexed in 2014, according to images satellites analyzed by the Marine Hydrophysical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, reports the state news agency TASS.
The oil slick, which is drifting north, has already contaminated some 35 kilometers of coastline in the Krasnodar region, Russian authorities said. Several coastal towns, including the seaside resort of Anapa, have been placed under an “emergency situation” due to this pollution. In videos published by the Telegram Baza channel, we can see beaches covered in fuel oil and stained and blackened birds nailed to the ground.
You have 75.92% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
Source: Lemonde