An oil spill has polluted the coast of Anapa five days before the start of the tourist season
New large-scale oil spills have been discovered off the coast of Anapa on the eve of the official opening of the resort season, which is set to begin on June 1.
Dark spots in the immediate vicinity of public beaches were captured in a satellite image from May 24.
The pollution threatens to disrupt the tourist season and poses a serious environmental hazard to the region.
The new “oil slicks” are located mainly to the west and northwest of Anapa, particularly opposite the popular resort areas of Vityazevo and Dzhemete, as well as directly in the central part of the city.
Individual traces of petroleum products are clearly visible along the entire coastline near the settlements of Varvarovka, Sukko, and Veliky Utrish.
However, these spots were completely absent in satellite images from May 22.
Experts attribute the environmental disaster to both the long-term consequences of the 2024 tanker accident in the Kerch Strait and the recent new fuel spill from the shadow fleet vessel “Sofia” in April.
Renowned ecologist Zhora Kavanoyan officially confirmed that on May 23, numerous spills of light petroleum products were detected in the village of Volna.
According to him, the coastline is contaminated over a stretch of at least 4 km.
The safety situation at official beaches remains critical, as even children’s health resorts are now at risk.
Based on the latest satellite image, ecologist Igor Shkradyuk concluded that the beaches of the “Vysokiy Bereg” resort and the “Zhemchuzhina” and “Aurora” children’s camps—which had previously been deemed suitable for recreation by Rospotrebnadzor—are now within the contaminated zone.
Experts are sounding the alarm over the inaction of local utility services.
Oil prices plummeted amid a possible breakthrough in U.S.-Iran negotiations
On May 22, global oil prices rose, although the market is still on track for a weekly decline. Analysts attribute the situation to uncertainty surrounding negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, as well as risks to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the world’s key oil supply routes.
The market expects oil prices to rise to $100 per barrel, according to Bloomberg.
Global oil prices rose during trading on Thursday, May 21, partially offsetting the sharp drop of the previous day.
Russian oil is on the rise again, and this is shifting the balance of the Russian Federation’s revenues
