When a 28 -year -old volunteer named Nicolai stepped on a sandy coast on the coast of Russia’s Black Sea just before the New Year, he was so overwhelmed by the amount of oil film that he was almost broken.
He said he and other volunteers had been entrusted with the task of throwing sand -filled sand, but “the scale is huge,” he said.
In two weeks of the New Year, and four weeks after the outbreak, President Vladimir Wei Putin recognized the destruction and left senior officials to deal with Russia’s largest oil spread over the years, which The country’s most famous coast has failed.
Russian officials said the oil was released by two elderly Russian tankers, which was damaged December 15 during a severe storm in the Kirch Strait. Russian officials said at least 2,400 metric tons of oil spread to the sea.
The destruction in the Strait, which separates the peninsula from the mainland Russia, raised questions as to whether the ship was part of the so -called shade fleet that Moscow uses to avoid sanctions on its oil industry, Sometimes they work on ships under poor conditions.
A vessel, Volgonft -212, divided into half and sank, killing a member of the staff. Second, Wolgonf -239, walking near the port of Taman. A total of 9,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil was filled in both utensils, and authorities are now working not only to clean the beaches, but are also trying to control extra spills from the ship who are running clutches –
Russian officials actually claimed that the outbreak consisted of, but immediately the destruction. Later, the eyes of oil and targeted birds were reported floating on the coast of the Russian Sea.
On Sunday, The government said It was allocating another 1.5 billion rubles (about $ 15.3 million) for cleaning efforts, and was pulling money from its reserve fund. Three days ago, Mr Putin ordered a report about the condition of the Russian tanker fleet, and also asked a deputy prime minister to review the Russian legislation that covers the delivery of oil through the sea and the river. And on the cleaning of similar calamities, “Consider Scientific progress,” his press office said.
Last week, the Ukrainian Navy warned that the oil from Spill could reach the coast of the Ukraine Sea near Odisa and Micalovo, but the Ukrainian Environmental Ministry said a day later that it had not seen any danger immediately –
Nicolai was among the hundreds of volunteers who have given cleanliness. A Moscow businessman, he saw information from photos and videos posted by local residents and officials, and traveled to the city of Anapa as soon as the New Year approached.
In a phone interview with The New York Times after returning home, he said he had spent a week throwing oil on the coast. He asked not to use his kin because he fears he may lose state contracts.
Individuals and businesses prepared some volunteers to provide hazmat suits and some basic equipment, but that was difficult.
Nicolai said, “I had seen photos before I arrived.” Yes, it seemed bad – but when you see it in real life, it’s different. You take a shovel and remove this black blanket of oil, and it feels just like a drop in the sea.
Nicolai said the air along the coast was so heavy that he was so heavy with oil smoke that he got dizzy and felt weak after walking there without breathing.
Cleaning teams are responding to the outbreak of oil along the coast of about 500 miles, with more than 160,000 tons of contaminated sand and soil, as well as 25 tonnes of “oil containing oil”. The Ministry of Emergency said This week
According to Greenpiece Ukraine, the threat of this outbreak has become “long -term environmental catastrophe”, which criticized the Russian reaction for slowdown and warned of the deadly effects on the sea life of the Black Sea.
Environmental experts say it is especially difficult to clean the spread due to tankers’ goods. Heavy fuel oil, unlike normal regular crude oil, does not remain on the water level, but instead sinks down.
“If it is not immediately removed from the surface, it is yet to wait until the marine microorganisms are baodized,” said Natalia Gozak, the Office director of Greenpes Ukraine. “It may take decades.”
The lack of instant response means that a large number of contaminated sand need to be removed, which mainly reduces parts of the coast of Anapa, an independent Russian environment and a biologist who two of that The days later arrived on the scene. .
“In the early days, the oil began to sink into the sand because there were not enough respondents,” said Mr Kovanosian.
Satellite Photographs Two long stains were shown near the tanker published by Mr Kenosian, which is running fast, which shows that after two minor earthquakes in the area, it spreads new oils.
He said, “That is a bomb tuck bomb.” Now the most important thing is to remove the oil and remove the ship. “
Officials have reported that they had collected most of the oil since last Monday.
When Mr Putin finally talked about the catastrophe, he described it as “one of the most serious environmental challenges in recent years.”
Mr Putin ordered senior officials to monitor the efforts. This month, a task force, along with plans for cleaning and reconstruction, brought several ministers to remove tankers.
The long -term effect of the spread of oil on the forest life remains to be seen.
Dalfa Dolphin Rescue and Research Center said that at least 58 dead dolphins have been found so far Description On Saturday, the group sent a team to a team last Friday to reach a drowned tanker and confirm the reports that the oil was still coming out of it.
He said, “Pollution was on the whole path.” “Just five kilometers off the coast, ordinary bottles were swimming in the dolphin and Harbor Porpyosis oil film and in small parts of fuel oil, to our big regrets and alarm.”
Experts say volunteers have been caught and cleaned by at least 6,000 oils, but many are unlikely to survive. According to Greenpiece Ukraine, the outbreak is likely to kill tens of thousands of local birds.
Russian oil companies have rapidly turned to the use of dilapidated tankers, which are not regular or insured by Western companies.
Ukrainian President Wolodmeir Zillsky and other Ukrainian officials have suggested that two 50 -year -old tankers are part of Russia’s shadow, which came after the Western nation was transferred to the Ukraine attack on Ukraine. –
But Elizabeth Brao, a senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council, who wrote numerous articles on the Shadow fleet, said the ship was “Richtty Tanker”, which lacked several features of Shadow fleet vessels, which usually work in Baltic. Do and travel underneath it. Flags from other countries.
According to the RIA Novosti News Agency in the public ownership, both tankers in the spills are included in Russian ownership, and one of them was suspended and should not be allowed to ship.
Questions were also raised about why tankers created for the river Navigation were allowed to go to the sea first in the winter storms.
Cassandra Vangrid Kiev cooperated in reporting from Ukraine.
