Oil Spill in Russia's Black Sea Kills Over 30 Cetaceans
Two Russian tankers spilled thousands of tons of heavy fuel oil after a December storm, triggering significant ecological damage and marine life fatalities.
- The Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 tankers sank on December 15 in the Kerch Strait, spilling approximately 40% of their 9,200-ton fuel oil cargo.
- At least 32 cetaceans, primarily porpoises, have died since the spill, with experts linking their deaths to the contamination.
- The heavy fuel oil, identified as M100, complicates cleanup efforts as it sinks to the ocean floor rather than floating on the surface.
- Authorities have removed 96,000 tons of contaminated sand across 68 kilometers of coastline, but around 200,000 tons of soil may be affected.
- Environmental groups and Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have acknowledged the ecological disaster's severity, with ongoing cleanup operations continuing to face challenges.
Sud Ouest 
Le Figaro 