Overview
- Ukrainian officials said the Dec. 20 strike on Pivdennyi ignited 13 containers of flour and vegetable oil, releasing cargo into port waters.
- Slicks reached Odesa’s Delfin and Lanzheron beaches, where volunteers and officials reported oiled and dead birds.
- The affected port area was temporarily closed and cordoned, with floating booms now fully deployed after days of intermittent shelling.
- The Sea Ports Authority said the substance is biodegradable vegetable oil, yet agencies warned of local ecological harm and are tracking water quality.
- The Odesa Zoo opened a reception point to clean and rehabilitate birds, urging residents to bring distressed wildlife for treatment.