A catastrophic oil spill has spread across the Kerch Strait, separating Russia and annexed Crimea, following the damage to two oil tankers in December. Satellite images reviewed by BBC Verify reveal a significant oil slick stretching at least 25 km, with the potential for it to reach as far as Odesa in southern Ukraine. The spill, involving heavy M100-grade fuel oil, has already covered up to 400 square kilometers of the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, causing severe environmental damage.
On December 15, two vessels, Volgoneft-239 and Volgoneft-212, ran into trouble during bad weather. One ship ran aground, while the other sank. An estimated 5,000 tonnes of oil have leaked into the sea, marking one of Russia's worst environmental disasters in recent history, according to Viktor Danilov-Danilyan, a senior Russian scientist. The spill is over three times larger than a similar disaster in the same region in 2007, which leaked 1,600 tonnes of oil. Ukrainian authorities warn that the cleanup costs could reach $14 billion.
Greenpeace experts, who have been monitoring the situation, stated that the oil slick has already impacted beaches across the region, from Berdyansk in Ukraine to Lake Donuzlav in Crimea. As the oil is largely composed of M100-grade fuel, which solidifies in water and is difficult to neutralize, experts are concerned that the environmental toll will last decades.
Marine life in the region has suffered immensely. Russian officials reported around 6,000 birds being taken to rehabilitation centers, but survival rates are grim, with only 17% of those affected by the spill surviving. Additionally, more than 70 dead dolphins have been found on the shores, with predictions that tens of thousands of birds, dolphins, and other marine life could be lost. Experts are also concerned about the long-term damage to the coastal flora and fauna.
The leak has raised serious questions about the seaworthiness of the two tankers involved, both over 50 years old. Investigations have been launched into the incident, and both captains have been arrested. There are also allegations that the ships were part of Russia's shadow oil fleet, which operates outside the international regulations to avoid sanctions.
The full scope of the damage remains uncertain, but experts warn that the long-term ecological consequences will not be confined to Russian waters, with the occupied territories of Ukraine also at risk of severe environmental harm.
As the situation continues to unfold, Greenpeace and local authorities are working tirelessly to mitigate the impact, but the scale of the disaster indicates that full recovery could take decades.