The districts of Kuban affected by the oil spill have abandoned winter beaches.

In Anapa and the Temryuk district, which were affected by the oil spill after the tankers' crash in December 2024, winter beaches will not be opened this year. The authorities of Sochi and the Slavyansky district also abandoned the idea of being a winter recreation spot on the coast.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", a satellite image taken at the end of October shows a leak at the stern of "Volgoneft-212". Oil slicks extending from the cofferdams erected over the sunken parts of the two tankers have been recorded throughout October.

This year, Anapa and Sochi decided to abandon the organization of winter beaches. The reason is safety concerns amid increased drone and unmanned boat attacks, reported the regional ministry of resorts, tourism, and Olympic heritage. In winter, only 29 winter beaches will operate in Kuban: Gelendzhik — 18 beaches, Novorossiysk — 5 beaches, Tuapse district — 1 beach, Kurganinsky district — 1 beach. Year-round recreation areas will continue to operate in the Beloglinsk and Primorsko-Akhtarsk districts.

Last winter, more than 70 winter beaches operated in Kuban. Now their number has decreased by more than half. Anapa, Sochi, the Temryuk and Slavyansky districts have decided to abandon the improvement of winter beaches this season, reports "Kommersant".

Blogger Andrey Makovozov visited the beaches of Dzhemete today, where there are small oil spills. "A powerful storm washed up seaweed and debris on the shore, which the staff of Anapa resorts are quickly cleaning up. There are a few drops of oil, but it's not critical," he wrote on his Telegram channel.

On December 15, 2024, two tankers carrying oil sank in the Kerch Strait. As a result, a crew member of one of the tankers died. Additionally, there was an oil spill, leading to catastrophic environmental consequences, according to a report by "Caucasian Knot" "Oil spill in the Kerch Strait". Materials on the consequences of the oil spill have been collected by "Caucasian Knot" on the page "Ecological disaster in Kuban".