Russia is warning of major environmental damage as oil from damaged tanks washes up on beaches

Russian officials warned of major environmental damage on Wednesday as thousands of people came out to clean up tons of oil spilled from two tankers hit by storms two weeks ago in the Kerch Strait, near Moscow-controlled Crimea.

More than 10,000 people, mostly volunteers, rushed to rescue wildlife and removed tons of sand filled with mazut, a heavy, low-grade oil product, according to Russian news reports.

Authorities in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region last week declared a state of emergency across the region, as fuel oil continued to wash ashore ten days after one tanker overturned and another was left damaged and washed away on December 15.

The move came days after Russian President Vladimir Putin called the oil spill a “natural disaster.”

On Wednesday, New Year’s Day, Krasnodar officials said oil continued to be seen on the beaches of Anapa, a popular local destination.

More than 71,000 tons of contaminated sand and silt have been removed from a 56-kilometer (35-mile) stretch of the coast since the initial spill, Russia’s emergency ministry reported Wednesday morning.

On December 23, the ministry estimated that a total of 200,000 tons may be contaminated.

Some Russian media critical of the Kremlin have cited Russian volunteers who say state support is insufficient as they deal with the aftermath of the spill. Some said they suffered from headaches, nausea and vomiting after spending hours inhaling the toxic fumes, and complained about inadequate equipment and protective measures.

Others called for international experts to be sent in, citing the magnitude of the bloodshed and the scale of the impact it could have.

Pictures circulating on social media and local news channels show the seabirds smeared with black oil.

The spill may have killed more than 20 dolphins, the local Delfa dolphin center said, adding that tests are still underway to determine the cause of their deaths.

The Kerch Strait separates the Russian-administered Crimean Peninsula and is an important global shipping lane, providing a route from the inland Sea of ​​Azov to the Black Sea.

It has also been a key point of conflict between Russia and Ukraine after Moscow seized the peninsula in 2014. In 2016, Ukraine took Moscow to the Supreme Court of Arbitration, where it accused Russia of attempting to illegally seize territory. In 2021, Russia closed the strait for several months.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, last month described the oil spill as a “major environmental disaster” and called for increased sanctions on Russian tankers.