Tuapse authorities have attempted to limit volunteer beach cleanup efforts.

The mayor of Tuapse discouraged volunteers from participating in beach cleanups, as it was dangerous due to the equipment. Officials advised women cleaning the beaches to protect their reproductive health. Volunteers are not allowed to work on the coastline; only specialized organizations operate in the coastal area, according to representatives of the volunteer headquarters.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," volunteers cleaning beach areas away from the city center stated that they are short of hands and lacking support from the authorities. Volunteers collecting oil from the coast of Tuapse and the surrounding area shared footage of their work on social media and reported a lack of assistance from the authorities. Liquid petroleum products are trapped under the pebbles and are more difficult to collect than the thick fuel oil in Anapa, a participant in the work noted. Volunteers are forced to clean up the aftermath of the oil spill on beaches far from the center of Tuapse on their own due to the lack of government assistance, social media users reported. The city mayor stated that the resort season will continue, and Rospotrebnadzor (the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing) assured that water and air samples in Tuapse meet hygiene standards. Telegram users questioned this information.

Volunteers in Tuapse are not allowed to work on the coastline; only specialized organizations are working in the coastal area, TASS reported, citing the "We Are Together" volunteer headquarters.

According to the headquarters, volunteers are engaged in other tasks: helping coordinate work and also participating in the cleanup of public areas in the city. The "We Are Together" headquarters told TASS this.

The head of Tuapse reported on his Telegram channel that "there are about 400 people in the volunteer reserve." "The guys from the Shepsi initiative group have been washing animals for a week now. They've asked for help with shelter and veterinarians. Together with the administration and United Russia, we're already searching for land for a potential shelter and bringing in specialists. Another group of spontaneous volunteers has reached the shore in the village of Tyumensky. Professionals and the Ministry of Emergency Situations are currently working at this site, equipped with equipment and strict safety requirements. We visited them today, and we're organizing food and removal of the collected fuel oil. Spontaneous trips to this site are not necessary; it's dangerous," said Sergei Boyko. The Tuapse administration and the regional Ministry of Emergency Situations have prohibited female volunteers from cleaning up oil spills on the shoreline, a Kommersant correspondent who was present during the conversation between officials and the volunteers reported. The ban was explained as "concerns for women's reproductive health." This demand was later reiterated at a volunteer meeting, where volunteers were asked to "understand." Some volunteers responded that they would "decide for themselves what to do with their reproductive health," the publication stated.

Kommersant previously reported that the Tuapse administration had not permitted female volunteers to clean up oil spills along the coastline, citing "concerns for women's reproductive health."

On April 24, after the booms broke through An oil spill into the Black Sea occurred due to rising water levels in the Tuapse River due to barriers. Authorities declared the spill "local," but the oil spill spread to nearby villages. Fuel oil has spread over a large area, and local residents told the Caucasian Knot on April 26, and it is being cleaned up mainly by volunteers.

18:09 26.12.2025

A Tuapse resident complained about delays in home repairs after a drone attack

A Tuapse resident's apartment was completely destroyed by fire after a drone attack on November 25. She is forced to live in rented accommodation. Neighboring apartments were also damaged, but a month later, on the orders of the authorities, they only put up a film instead of a roof.

As a reminder, a Tuapse resident, Evgeniya, left the city on April 28 because she believes the conditions there are dangerous for children's health.

"My apartment was destroyed after a drone attack on November 25th last year. I moved to another, quieter area, but after the latest attack, I decided to move further away. I have been renting an apartment for five months at my own expense. I do not have temporary housing. "They provided it. We appealed to the authorities for help, but they turned a deaf ear," she told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Materials about the consequences of the fuel oil spills in the Kerch Strait and in Tuapse have been collected by the "Caucasian Knot" on the page "Eco-disaster in Kuban". Data on the scale of coastal pollution was collected by the Caucasian Knot in the reference material "Fuel oil spill in the Kerch Strait".