Russia conceals scale of environmental disaster as fuel oil spill reaches Odesa region beaches

The scale of the ecological disaster caused by a fuel oil spill in the Black and Azov Seas, following the accident involving two Russian tankers, is being concealed by the occupiers. On January 24, the first signs of contamination with Russian fuel oil were observed on beaches in the Odesa region.

This was reported on Facebook by Ivan Rusev, an ecologist and employee of the Tuzly Lagoons National Park, as well as by the National Resistance Center (NRS), according to Rubryka.

"The Russian authorities continue to cynically downplay the extent of the ecological disaster in the Black and Azov Seas caused by the fuel oil spill. Instead of taking meaningful steps to mitigate the damage, the occupiers are declaring 'no threat' and issuing fake statements about the 'compliance with standards' of the fish caught in the area," the National Resistance stated.

It was also noted that Russian agencies, including "Rosselkhoznadzor" and "Rospotrebnadzor," have conducted dubious "research" claiming that fish from the polluted waters are supposedly safe for consumption.

"However, it is clear that these statements are yet another attempt to conceal the catastrophic consequences of the pollution and evade responsibility for the total chaos the occupiers have inflicted on our land," the activists added.

The NRS emphasized that fuel oil does not dissolve in water and contact with it can lead to allergic reactions, eczema, or even chemical burns. Furthermore, they noted that it could take up to 20 years for the sea to fully recover naturally from the damage caused by Putin's actions.

Ivan Rusev, an ecologist and employee of the Tuzly Lagoons National Park, reported that on January 24, the first signs of contamination with Russian fuel oil from tankers that crashed in the Kerch Strait were discovered on the beaches of the Odesa region.

"The devastating fuel oil disaster in the Black Sea has now reached our Odesa shores," Rusev stated. "After recent storms, fuel oil spilled during the accident involving Russian tankers in the Kerch Strait was carried onto the sandbank near the Katranka recreational zone, close to the Danube Biosphere Reserve and the Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park."

According to Rusev, the consequences of such environmental disasters are boundless. Thousands of tons of fuel oil that have spilled into the sea will cause significant harm to the natural ecosystems of the Black Sea and its biodiversity.

What is known about the accident