Cleanup operations are continuing in the Kerch Strait following an oil spill from sunken tankers in December of last year. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reports that significant progress has been made in collecting contaminated materials from the affected areas.

Since the beginning of the cleanup, over 179.6 thousand tons of contaminated sand and soil have been collected. This includes efforts across the Krasnodar Territory, the Republic of Crimea, and Sevastopol.

Divers have been actively involved in the cleanup efforts, conducting over 14,456 descents in the coastal areas of Anapa and the Temryuk district. They have collected 14,830 bags of oil-containing waste and examined more than 8.2 thousand square meters of the seabed using special equipment.

In the Krasnodar Territory, specialists have examined 325 km of coastline and cleaned another 429.2 km, resulting in the collection of more than 177 thousand tons of contaminated sand, soil, and pebbles.

In the Republic of Crimea, examination of 500 kilometers of coastline from Kerch to the village of Portovoye has taken place, with over 259.5 km cleaned. Approximately 908.4 tons of contaminated sand and soil have been collected in the region.

In Sevastopol, 165 kilometers of coastline between Laspi and Andreyevka have been examined, leading to the collection and removal of more than 850 tons of oil-containing waste.

On July 30 alone, 238 bags of fuel oil and contaminated sand were lifted from the seabed in Anapa.

The oil spill occurred on December 15 of the previous year when the tankers “Volgoneft-212” and “Volgoneft-239” collided in the Kerch Strait. The Ministry of Transport estimates that approximately 2.4-3 thousand tons of fuel oil entered the sea, with over 4 thousand tons of petroleum products on board the Volgoneft-212 vessel.

Fuel oil from the sunken tanker is reportedly still leaking into the sea. As a precautionary measure, those arriving in Anapa and Temryuk district are required to sign a ban on swimming.