Dangerous air pollution was detected in Tuapse following a drone attack
The environmental situation in Tuapse, Russia, has significantly deteriorated due to a massive fire at the maritime terminal, which has been burning for three days following an attack by Ukrainian drones.
Local authorities in the Krasnodar Krai have officially acknowledged that critical levels of toxic substances have been detected in the atmosphere.
According to the region’s emergency response headquarters, combustion products from petroleum are continuously being released into the air and have already begun to settle on the city.
“Combustion products are being released, which fell on the city along with rain on April 22, creating a black coating on surfaces,” the public announcement states.
Specialists from Rospotrebnadzor confirmed that as of the evening of April 21, it had become hazardous to breathe in the city’s residential neighborhoods.
In some areas of Tuapse, concentrations of benzene, xylene, and soot in the air were found to exceed permissible levels by 2–3 times.
Due to the environmental threat, residents of several neighborhoods were strongly advised to limit their time outdoors and keep windows closed.
Additionally, doctors recommend that residents temporarily stop wearing contact lenses and switch to regular glasses to avoid irritation of the eye mucous membranes.
Residents are also advised to regularly rinse their noses, eyes, and throats to minimize the toxic smog’s impact on the body.
Representatives of the emergency response headquarters note that air quality will return to normal only after firefighters have completely extinguished the fire.
Currently, efforts to extinguish the terminal are ongoing, but thick black smoke continues to blanket the surrounding areas and the sea.
The oil refinery in Tuapse has almost ceased operations
Additionally, on the morning of April 15, Ukrainian “Lyuty” strike drones attacked a petrochemical plant in the city of Sterlitamak, located in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russian Federation.
In Sterlitamak, Bashkortostan—one of the centers of the Russian Federation’s chemical and petrochemical industries—an attack was recorded on facilities that may be linked to the production of components for military equipment.
