Over 200 dead and oil-stained birds have been found on Anapa’s coast in the past two days, according to the Krasnodar Krai task force. «Experts estimate that the birds may have been caught in an oil spill discovered 11 kilometers from the resort. The spill was treated with a biosorbent the day before, and booms were installed,» the task force reported.
This comes amid government announcements about the imminent reopening of beaches following the massive pollution caused by the December 2024 tanker accident in the Kerch Strait. Approximately 4,000 tons of oil spilled into the sea. At the end of March, Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev announced that more than 90% of the fuel oil had been removed, the water was safe for use, and Anapa’s beaches were scheduled to reopen by June 1. Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratyev added that an additional layer of sand up to 50 cm thick would be added to the beaches before the start of summer. Meanwhile, new fuel oil spills were discovered on the coastline in mid-February.
