Oil spill in the Black Sea — real scale of the disaster

Purification of water and the coast of the Black Sea from oil products of Russian tankers may take up to ten years. In addition to fuel oil, other harmful substances have also leaked into the sea. They increase the scale of the disaster.

This was reported by the head of the Russian Union of Energy and Environmental Safety, Natalia Sokolova.

Forecasts and scenarios

According to the ecologist, more than 4.3 thousand tons of fuel oil, as well as other petroleum products, have spilled into the Black Sea. Cleaning work will take at least three full seasons, according to the most optimistic scenario. In fact, much more.

"It can realistically take up to five years, and in case of a negative development of events — up to ten years," Natalia Sokolova says.

She claims that the tankers transported not only fuel oil, but also other products of different densities, in particular, gasoline, diesel fuel, oils. It will be especially difficult to remove them.

"This mixture has different densities. The film on the surface was collected by boom barriers and sorbents. Heavy fractions sank to the bottom. They are very difficult to collect. They combine with bottom sediments, phytoplankton and algae. Unfortunately, during high tides, this fuel oil will return," Natalia Sokolova says.

It should be recalled that on December 15 and 17, a powerful storm broke three Russian ships with oil products in half off the coast of Kerch. As a result of the accident of Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea, beaches in the occupied Crimea and on the territory of the Russian Federation are contaminated with fuel oil. Birds and marine animals, in particular dolphins, are dying because of this.