Oil spill ravages Black Sea shores, causing major environmental disaster

Thousands of tonnes of mazut, a heavy oil product, spilled into the Kerch Strait in the Black Sea after two Russian tankers were severely damaged during stormy weather.

The Volgoneft-212 ran aground on Sunday, tearing its bow and spilling approximately 3,700 tonnes of oil. A sailor from its 13-man crew tragically died.

The Volgoneft-239 also drifted and later ran aground near Russia’s Taman port, with all 14 crew members rescued.

Greenpeace Ukraine pledged to monitor the spill’s impact despite being banned from Russia. According to the organisation, the tankers—destined for the Russian navy—left Volgograd with their tracking systems disabled. Experts warn that strong winds and currents will complicate containment efforts, potentially causing severe shoreline pollution and making clean-up highly difficult.