Satellite imagery shows possible pollution in the sea near Anapa.

The image off the coast of Anapa shows areas where oil slicks may be present. The image cannot provide a clear indication of the nature of the slicks, but experts noted that oil spills were recorded on the coast in the village of Volna. The Kuban regional task force reported no spills in Anapa.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," the Kuban office of Rospotrebnadzor stated that water samples and areas where new sand was added meet the required standards for oil product content, unlike the Anapa beach, where imported sand has not yet been added. The swimming season in Anapa officially opens on June 1 and runs until September 30. Permission for swimming in the sea will be valid in areas excluded from the danger zone designated following the tanker emergency. Social media users have expressed concerns about the safety of water and sand. On May 23, oil spills were recorded in the village of Volna in the Temryuk District, and volunteers cleaned the beach.

The Transparent World Project analyzed a radar image from the Sentinel-1C satellite dated May 24, 2026. "The image shows dark, smoothed areas on the sea surface off the coast of Anapa, which may indicate film anomalies. The main zone is traced to the west and northwest of the city, opposite Vityazevo, Dzhemete, and central Anapa. Individual elongated areas are visible further south, along the coast near Varvarovka, Sukko, and Bolshoy Utrish," the image description states.

Meanwhile, the project's experts noted that such areas cannot be interpreted based on the image alone. "They need to be verified dynamically, comparing radar and optical data with weather, currents, vessel activity, and, if necessary, field observations," they noted.

For comparison, they used an optical image from the Sentinel-2 satellite acquired on May 22, 2026, which showed water discoloration, coastal irregularities, and possible suspended matter, but did not directly confirm the nature of the films. "A similar effect on radar images can be caused not only by pollution, but also by biogenic films, runoff, localized wind weakening, and other processes that smooth the water surface," the report states.

The satellite data supplements reports of a discharge of fine petroleum products in the village of Volna in the Temryuk District, the report emphasizes.

No new petroleum product discharges were recorded in Anapa. These are the results of daily coastline monitoring. No oil spills were detected in the sea, the Krasnodar Krai task force reported today.

"Seawater on beaches reopened after restoration, according to Rospotrebnadzor, complies with sanitary standards," the statement said.

Materials on the consequences of the fuel oil spills in the Kerch Strait and Tuapse have been compiled 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".