On December 15, 2024, a severe storm hit the Black Sea, causing two Russian oil tankers to wreck in the Kerch Strait. The accident spilled large amounts of fuel oil into the sea, quickly contaminating waters off Russia’s Krasnodar region, annexed Crimea, and the Sea of Azov.
Greenpeace described the spill as potentially one of the worst environmental disasters in decades. Yet more than six months later, critical information remains unknown. Authorities have not disclosed how much oil was onboard, how much leaked, or whether the spill is ongoing. Russia has provided no official data, prompting concern among environmental groups and scientists.
Experts warn that the situation could worsen. Without containment, the oil may drift to the coasts of Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey. In Bulgaria, the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy is closely monitoring the slick. While the oil has not yet reached Bulgarian waters, scientists remain alert. They warn that wind and currents could quickly shift the pollution zone.
The Ukrainian Scientific Center for Marine Ecology has released projections showing the oil’s slow spread eastward across the Black Sea. Greenpeace Ukraine reports that traces of the spill have already reached the Odessa region and are moving toward Romanian maritime borders.
Russia’s muted response has drawn harsh criticism. In contrast to the 2020 Norilsk diesel spill—where the government declared a federal emergency and imposed heavy fines—no significant federal action has followed the Black Sea disaster. After Norilsk, the responsible company was ordered to clean up rivers and remove polluted soil.
In 2025, however, volunteers are still manually removing oil from beaches along Russia’s coast. The companies involved deny responsibility and continue to fight legal claims. So far, there have been no fines, no cleanup orders, and no official transparency—only silence.
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