Kremlin calls emergency situation after fuel oil spill in the Black Sea

Due to the spillage of fuel oil after the crash of two tankers in the Kerch Strait, an emergency situation has developed, negative consequences for the environment are inevitable. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on December 28.

"This is an emergency situation. <...> Unfortunately, negative consequences in terms of ecology are inevitable. This now requires maximum vigorous efforts on the part of a number of agencies," Peskov said.

He pointed out that the full extent of environmental damage cannot yet be calculated, but this work is already being constantly carried out by specialists.

The Kremlin spokesman recalled that the coordination of the elimination of pollution is the head of the Russian Emergencies Ministry Alexander Kurenkov, who reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 27 on the measures being taken to clean up the fuel oil.

Peskov noted that the volunteers do not spare themselves while working, and this is very important for the region, which faced the disaster.

Storm bias: what could have led to the tragedy in the Kerch Strait

The design of tankers built for river transportation was not designed for a sea storm

The tankers Volgoneft-212 andVolgoneft-239crashed 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.

On the instructions of the Russian President, a working group has been created to coordinate the work to eliminate the consequences of the accident with the tankers. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the situation with the elimination of the consequences of the fuel spill in the Black Sea is under the attention of the head of state.

Kurenkov arrived in Anapa on December 26 to supervise the liquidation of fuel oil. The press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations said that more than 23.5 thousand tons of contaminated sand had been collected and removed from the territory of Kuban since the beginning of the work. More than 4.3 thousand people and 400 units of equipment are involved in the cleanup. At the same time, a unit for pumping out oil products from tankers in distress was delivered to the region, and its testing on land began.

On that day the Governor of Krasnodar Region Veniamin Kondratiev asked the Minister for federal assistance in eliminating the fuel oil spill on the coast. In addition, the region introduced a federal emergency regime.

Later, on December 28, the Russian Ministry of Transport reported that all the identified areas of fuel oil pollution in the Kerch Strait had been cleaned up, but environmental monitoring of the sea surface continued.