Top scientist calls Black Sea oil spill Russia’s worst environmental disaster of the 21st century

Viktor Danilov-Danilyan, head of the Institute of Water Problems at the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), has called the recent Black Sea oil spill “the most serious environmental disaster in Russia since the beginning of the 21st century.” His comments came in an interview with Kommersant published on Jan. 17.

The story began on Dec. 15, when two tankers — Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 — sank in the Kerch Strait, releasing approximately 8,000 tons of heavy fuel oil into the Black Sea. Danilov-Danilyan called the resulting environmental catastrophe an “unprecedented event”:

“This is the first time such a large amount of fuel oil has been spilled. In my view, this is the most serious environmental disaster in Russia since the beginning of the 21st century… The diesel fuel spill in Norilsk in 2020 cannot be compared to today's situation. That incident was localized and quickly addressed due to favorable natural and weather conditions, as well as the availability of sufficient equipment.”

According to the scientist, the pollution threatens not only Russia's coastline but also Ukraine’s port city of Odesa, along with coastal areas in Bulgaria, Romania, and even Turkey.

The oil spill is expected to cause significant wildlife losses, including the death of birds and fish. Cleanup operations are anticipated to reshape the shoreline, resulting in unexpected costs for local municipalities. Danilov-Danilyan noted that the removal of contaminated sand has already shifted the coastline 30-50 meters inland in some areas.

Danilov-Danilyan said the catastrophe was the result of negligent transportation practices:

“At the very least, vessels that should have been decommissioned as unfit for use 20 years ago should not have been used… It is impossible to prevent catastrophic consequences with such an approach: sooner or later, they were bound to happen.”

This event is the first of its kind worldwide, resulting in the deaths of dozens of dolphins and numerous birds, including endangered species.

According to the latest reports, oil slicks have already been spotted along Russia’s Kuban coastline, near occupied Crimea, and in the Russian-annexed part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Region. Affected birds have also been observed near the shores of Georgia.