Russian authorities in Crimea will introduce a state of emergency due to a large-scale oil spill in the Black Sea after two tankers sank in the Kerch Strait. This was announced by Crimean Governor Sergei Aksenov, quoted by "Interfax", reports Focus.
"Yesterday we talked with all our colleagues. The decision of the leader (President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin) will be to introduce a state of emergency at the federal level," Aksenov indicated.
Regional authorities in the Krasnodar Territory have already taken action, and on Wednesday, December 25, a state of emergency was declared. The Minister of Emergency Situations personally arrived in the city of Anapa to lead operations to contain the crisis and minimize the consequences.
Causes and scale of the crisis
The oil spill was caused by a strong sea storm that led to the crash of two Russian tankers. One of them has already completely sunk. Although the exact volumes of the spill have not been officially confirmed by the Russian authorities, experts assume that it is thousands of tons of petroleum products based on the capacity of the tankers.
International environmental consequences
The spill is already causing concern in neighboring countries. The Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) announced that it is monitoring the situation closely. Minister Petar Dimitrov is in constant contact with his colleagues from Romania, Ukraine, Turkey and Georgia, who may also be affected.
Urgent efforts are aimed at containing the environmental damage, preventing the spread of the oil spill and minimizing the impact on the Black Sea and coastal ecosystems.