Massive Oil Spill Cleanup in Black Sea Achieves Major Milestone

Rescue workers have successfully removed nearly 1,500 tons of oil from a stranded tanker involved in a significant oil spill in southern Russia. The incident, which damaged extensive stretches of the Black Sea coastline, prompted a large-scale cleanup involving thousands of volunteers and Russian authorities.

Rescue teams have cleared almost 1,500 tons of oil from a tanker that ran aground last year in southern Russia, authorities announced. This incident led to a catastrophic oil spill that harmed multiple miles of the Black Sea coastline.

Two Russian tankers, Volgoneft-239 and Volgoneft-212, sustained severe damage amid stormy conditions on December 15, causing thousands of tons of mazut, a type of low-grade fuel oil, to spill into the Kerch Strait.

A team from Russia's Marine Rescue Service completed a six-day operation to siphon off the remaining 1,488 tons of oil from Volgoneft-239, stated Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev on the government's Telegram channel. Although earlier plans had called for the removal of oil, it continued to leak, necessitating further cleanup efforts.

According to Savelyev, Volgoneft-239 is set to be cleaned and prepared for dismantlement. Meanwhile, the Volgoneft-212 sank, leaving its future uncertain. The oil from the spill has reached beaches in Russia's Krasnodar region as well as Russian-controlled parts of Crimea and the Berdyansk Spit, approximately 90 miles from the accident site.

President Vladimir Putin labeled the spill as "one of the most serious environmental challenges we have faced in recent years." As part of the weekslong cleanup, over 173,000 tons of contaminated material has been collected with numerous volunteers assisting in the endeavor, as reported by Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry.

(With inputs from agencies.)