A new video published by the environmental project "The Earth Touches Everyone" shows serious fuel oil pollution on the bottom of the Black Sea in the area of the wreck of the tanker "Volgoneft-239". Using an underwater drone, the project team conducted a survey from Anapa to Cape Panagia, identifying significant volumes of fuel oil that may pose a danger to the ecosystem for a long time.
The footage shows a diver working near the damaged tanker covered in fuel oil, indicating large volumes of oil products leaked into the sea.
"When we approached the stern, they were pulling out a diver who was covered in fuel oil. He was probably working right next to the hull. So there was more than a lot of fuel oil there," — a project participant shared.
This evidence indicates that pollution is not limited to the surface of the water but penetrates deep into the bottom, complicating the cleaning and restoration processes.
Damage control measures are already being taken at the site of the accident: sand is being removed and a dam is being built to contain the spread of the oil spill. However, experts fear that low water temperatures in the area (around 8-9 degrees) may make it difficult to eliminate the consequences of the pollution. Under such conditions, the oil becomes more viscous and less amenable to cleaning, which may lead to long-term environmental consequences.
Earlier, the Baza publication reported that one of the tankers, Volgoneft-212, was overloaded at the time of the disaster. According to the captain, the vessel was not unloaded due to a violation of the order by Rosneft, which gave priority to its own vessels. This statement raises questions about the observance of navigation safety and ship load management, which could have been one of the factors that led to the disaster.