The number of liquidators of the fuel oil spill in Krasnodar Krai exceeded 10 thousand people.

The group eliminating fuel oil pollution in the Krasnodar region after the crash of two tankers in the Kerch Strait has exceeded 10,000 people. This was announced by Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov at a meeting of the operational headquarters on December 23.

"For the elimination of the emergency formed a grouping of more than 10 thousand people. Working 366 units of equipment, including 270 - special equipment. Now the main attention is directed to two sites: Blagoveshchenskaya - Vityazevo and from Vityazevo to the central beach of Anapa", - said Kozlov, his speech published on the website of the administration of the Krasnodar region.

He said that more than 14 tons of contaminated sand were removed from the coast and identified disposal sites at four sites. The Minister noted that the more fuel oil will be collected now, the less will have to be cleaned in April and May, when the fuel will start to rise to the surface when the water warms up. Kozlov drew attention to the forecast of experts, who believe that the amount of contaminated sand may grow up to 200 thousand tons.

The head of the Ministry of Natural Resources expressed hope that scientists will help to find a way out of the situation and suggest what to do and what reagents to use in the sea. Kozlov said that the sunken tankers will have to be examined by divers.

The Minister added that volunteers have rescued 972 birds and 890 of them have already been sent for rehabilitation. Emergency services, rescuers, employees of administrations of 41 municipalities, volunteers, Cossacks and communal workers are engaged in cleaning of beaches.

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December 22 in Krasnodar Krai from fuel oil cleaned almost 40 km of coastline. In the port of Anapa additionally cleaned 500 square meters of water area. In Crimea, 60.3 tons of contaminated sand and soil were collected.

On December 21, Kerch introduced a state of emergency of a municipal nature. Fuel oil from the wrecked ships reached the shores of the Kerch Peninsula - to Cape Snake and fortress Yeni-Kale.

Tankers "Volgoneft-212" and "Volgoneft-239" wrecked in the Kerch Strait on December 15 due to bad weather. As a result of the incident there was a spill of oil products. 27 people were evacuated from both vessels. It was specified that one person died.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, on the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, created a working group to coordinate work to eliminate the consequences of the accident with tankers in the Kerch Strait.