This was stated by the Russian appointee in Crimea, Sergey Aksenov, as reported by "RBK".
The day before, the governor of the Krasnodar region declared that the oil product discharge on the shores of Anapa and the Temryuk district "has dragged on and is not stopping".
"Initially, according to the calculations of scientists and specialists, the bulk of the fuel oil was supposed to remain on the bottom of the Black Sea, which would have allowed it to be collected from the water. However, the weather dictates its own conditions, the air is warming up, and oil products are rising to the surface. As a result, they are being washed onto our beaches," he stated.
An anonymous activist from Feodosia informed "Crimea. Realities" (the service of "Radio Liberty") that the consequences of the oil discharge on the beach in Crimea are more threatening than in Anapa.
"The local sand is looser, with a higher shell content; its consistency is much softer and more porous than in the Anapa area. The oil discharges here will lead to an ecological catastrophe. Given the shortage of special equipment and qualified personnel, this could jeopardize next year's resort season. The local fauna will also suffer. Volunteers are already finding birds affected by the oil in some places, including our beaches," the activist said.
According to him, there are neither ornithologists nor veterinarians in Feodosia capable of providing effective and urgent assistance if affected animals are found in large numbers.
On the afternoon of December 15, near the Kerch Strait in the Black Sea, two Russian tankers were damaged — "Volgoneft-212" and "Volgoneft-239". Both were built in the 1980s.
One of the versions of the accident is crew error under difficult weather conditions, wrote "Interfax," citing maritime search and rescue services. The court in Russia has detained the captains of the vessels.
According to media reports, the tankers were carrying approximately 4,300 tons of fuel oil. The head of Russia, Vladimir Putin, stated that 40% of the fuel had leaked out.
After the accident, oil discharges mixed with algae were observed along the coast. This has had a detrimental impact on local wildlife — due to the pollution, several dolphins and other animals have died.