The Foreign Ministry reacts to Putin's demonstrative statements about “fighting” the consequences of the fuel oil leak
Kyiv • UNN
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called Putin's creation of a headquarters for oil pollution cleanup in the Black Sea a demonstrative “concern.” About 15-20 thousand birds and more than 30 dolphins were killed in the Russian tanker accident.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has ordered the creation of a headquarters for the liquidation of oil pollution in the Black Sea after almost a month due to the accident of Russian tankers. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that this is a demonstrative alleged "concern." This was stated by Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhyi, reports UNN.
"Today's instructions by Vladimir Putin to eliminate the consequences of a large-scale environmental disaster in the Black Sea look openly demonstrative. Between December 15-31, 2024, oil products continued to leak from damaged tankers in the Kerch Strait, while the Russian authorities took no effective measures to eliminate them. Only after the scale of the disaster became too obvious to conceal its terrible environmental consequences did the Russian leadership begin to demonstrate its alleged "concern," Tikhiy said.
He noted that the accident of the Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 tankers in the Kerch Strait, which occurred due to the use of outdated vessels and disregard for safety standards of navigation, confirms Russia's inability to comply with shipping safety.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasized that this disaster is a direct consequence of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Russia's criminal economic activities in the temporarily occupied territories and water areas of Ukraine, which threatens not only the ecology of the region, but also the lives and health of people in all Black Sea countries.
"Russia's practice of first ignoring the problem, then admitting its inability to solve it, and finally leaving the entire Black Sea region to face the consequences is yet another proof of its international irresponsibility," Tychy said.
He noted that this is additional evidence that Russia's use of the "shadow fleet" for illegal transportation not only brings billions to the aggressor, but also increases the risk of environmental disasters and damage to coastal states. That is why Ukraine calls for tighter sanctions restrictions on Russian shadow fleet operators.
MFA Calls to Stop Russia's “Shadow Fleet” after Kerch Strait Accident10.01.25, 14:01 • 15480 views
"We call on the international community to increase pressure on Russia to stop its illegal economic activities in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and bring it to justice for the cross-border damage to the environment and people," Tychy said.
Context
According to the National Security and Defense Council's Center for Countering Disinformation, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has tellingly criticized the work of the agencies and ordered the creation of a headquarters to eliminate oil pollution in the Black Sea. It took the Russian dictator almost a month to take this "decisive step" - the same amount of time has passed since the crash of the fuel oil tankers in the Kerch Strait.
Ivan Rusev, a biologist and head of the research department of the Tuzly Estuaries National Park, reported that about 15-20 thousand birds have already died as a result of the fuel oil spill after the accident of Russian tankers in the Kerch Strait, but "this is only the visible part of the iceberg.
The coasts of occupied Feodosia, Alushta and Sudak have been affected by fuel oil pollution. Satellite images showed stains near the ports and along the coastline, and environmentalists warn of possible consequences.
