Russian tankers that sank in the Black Sea could cause an environmental disaster - Greenpeace
Kyiv • UNN
Two Russian tankers sank in the Kerch Strait, spilling 4,300 tons of fuel oil. According to Greenpeace, the oil spill could lead to a serious environmental disaster in the region.
Russia's militarization of the Black and Azov Seas is leading to a new environmental disaster. Right now, more than four tons of oil products are being spilled into the water. This is reported by Greenpeace, according to UNN.
4,300 tons of fuel oil and possibly other oil products are now spilling into the waters of the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, as a result of the accident of two tankers caught in a storm,
Details
According to them, the two Russian tankers were on their way with a cargo of fuel for the Russian fleet, and the system for locating ships had been disabled for 12 days (tracking data from October 1 shows that the delivery route starts from Volgograd and ends in the Kerch Strait).
Dr. Paul Johnston, head of Greenpeace's research laboratories at the University of Exeter in the UK, warned that any spill of oil or oil products in these waters could have serious consequences.
The spill is likely to be driven by the prevailing winds and currents, which are currently moving to the northeast, and will be extremely difficult to contain in the current weather conditions. If the contamination washes ashore, it will result in shoreline pollution that will be extremely difficult to clean up. The environmental impact will depend on the type of oil spilled,
He noted that heavy residual oil products such as fuel oil tend to have a more significant impact, including on marine life. And he emphasized that given the potential for such a significant environmental impact, the focus should be on trying to minimize further spills.
If the ships sink, there is a possibility of a long-term spill of oil and oil products,
The organization also recalled that the region has already suffered from severe weather conditions, which led to the leakage of 1,200 tons of fuel oil from a Russian tanker in 2007 near the Tuzla Peninsula.
This led to serious damage that was observed even a year after the accident. Although Russian officials are unlikely to take any measures to mitigate the environmental impact, we will continue to monitor the situation,
Recall
In the Kerch Strait, two Volgoneft tankers had an accident, one ran aground. The Volgoneft 212 evacuated 13 people, one died, and 14 sailors are awaiting rescue aboard the second tanker.
