The fire at the marine oil loading terminal in Tuapse has been extinguished, Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said. According to him, firefighters worked around the clock for five days.
Oil products entered the sea. The Krasnodar Krai оперативный штаб said that because of heavy rains, oil products that had earlier been collected after the terminal fire broke through one of the boom barriers, flowed into the Tuapse River, and then into the Black Sea.
The scale of the spill is unknown. It is not known how much oil product reached the sea. Environmentalist Georgy Kavanosyan said a dense film about 30 centimeters thick formed on the water surface. He also said activists called the police to identify those responsible for the spill and assess the damage.
Responders are working without protective gear. Photos and videos from the spill site indicate that responders are collecting oil with buckets and shovels. They are wearing white protective suits, but there are no respirators, Kavanosyan emphasized. According to him, they plan to continue the cleanup at night.
Context. Ukrainian drones attacked Tuapse twice, on April 16 and April 20. After the first strike, a fire broke out at the marine terminal, and oil products entered the river. The blaze was extinguished on April 19. That same day, the regional operational headquarters reported that the spill had been contained: boom barriers and oil collection equipment were installed in the body of water.
After the strikes on the night of April 20, a second fire broke out at the marine terminal. Oil products also entered the Black Sea, forming an oil slick covering 10 thousand square meters, the operational headquarters said.
Hazardous precipitation. Residents of Tuapse say “oil” rains are falling in the city. Oily drops are leaving marks on the ground, houses, cars, as well as on animals and people.
Rospotrebnadzor initially said it had not detected elevated concentrations of harmful substances in the air. Later, the agency published a memo advising people to “avoid being outdoors, do not open windows, drink more fluids,” and also to “use masks and respirators if it is necessary to go outside.” Its press service did not specify what prompted these recommendations.
When oil products burn, benzene, xylene, and soot are produced, The Insider reported, citing Vladimir Slivyak, co-chair of the group Ecodefense. According to the environmentalist, these compounds pose a direct threat to health, and benzene can trigger cancer.