Authorities announced that 90% of the fuel oil spill near Anapa has been collected

More than 90% of the fuel oil spilled during the tanker disaster has been recovered, and fuel oil was removed from the bow of the Volgoneft-239 tanker in October and November, authorities reported. Volunteers noted that the fuel oil in the Temryuk district is hidden under a layer of sand.

As reported by the " Caucasian Knot ," Anapa will be ready to welcome tourists next year, according to Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratyev, who announced the waiver of the tourist tax for the year. Hoteliers stated that bookings for next summer  are extremely low . Blogger Yuri Ozarovsky recorded a video message before Putin's direct line requesting permission to open Anapa's beaches in 2026, assuring that there are virtually no traces of fuel oil in the sea or on the shore.

Over 90% of the fuel oil spill in the Kerch Strait has been collected, according to data released by the government commission, which continues to coordinate the cleanup efforts following the tanker disaster in the Kerch Strait.
 
Since the sinking of the Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 tankers on December 15, 2024, over 185,000 tons of contaminated sand and soil have been collected for disposal and sale in the Krasnodar Krai, the Republic of Crimea, and Sevastopol, 160,000 tons of which have already been disposed of, according to a December 12 announcement on the Russian government's Telegram channel.

The government's statement emphasized that "according to estimates by the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and relevant government agencies, over 90% of the spilled fuel oil has been collected." In March, fuel oil was pumped out of the grounded stern of the Volgoneft-239, and the stern was disposed of. In October and November, the bulk of the fuel oil was removed from the tanker's bow.

Authorities also reported that the first cofferdam had been installed, and work on the second and third was ongoing. "After the fuel oil is removed, the cofferdams and the remaining parts of the ships are planned to be completely dismantled in 2026," the statement stated.

The Ministry of Education and Science continues to develop options for beach cleanup in Anapa and the Temryuk district, the government added.

"They don't like our beaches; they want to build them up to some unattainable ideal, it seems," blogger Max Anapsky pointed out, suggesting that "only Anapa residents are planning to open the 2026 season."

Volunteers from the Dolphins headquarters noted that fuel oil is hidden under a layer of sand, posting a video from Lake Tuzla. "We take a shovel, run it across the ground, and it's immediately obvious: beneath the top layer of sand is oil-contaminated soil. A black layer, saturated with fuel oil. You don't even have to dig deep," they noted.

In December 2024, two tankers carrying fuel oil sank in the Kerch Strait, resulting in catastrophic environmental consequences. Details can be found in the Caucasian Knot report " Fuel Oil Spill in the Kerch Strait ." Materials on the consequences of the fuel oil spill have been compiled by Caucasian Knot on the topic page " Eco-Disaster in Kuban ."

Fuel oil pollution in the Black Sea  continues ; satellite images showed leaks from sunken tankers in August. Most of the fuel oil settled to the seabed, including in the area of ​​Taman, Anapa, and the Bugay Spit, according to scientists from the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.