Tanker accident in the Black Sea: Birds spotted in oil near Odessa, prompting a response from the Ministry of Ecology (photos included).

In the Tuzlovskyi Limany National Nature Park, birds covered in oil have been discovered, a direct result of a spill from tanker accidents in the Kerch Strait. This was reported by Ivan Rusev, a biologist and research staff member of the park.

The specialist noted that a great crested grebe, partially smeared with oil, was found in the park. According to Ivan Rusev, this bird flaps its wings rapidly and can fly long distances.

"We also observed a great cormorant, which was in the same condition as the grebe, but it was impossible to retrieve it from the water," the biologist added.

He mentioned that the bird that did not survive has been sent for examination to the Ukrainian Marine Ecology Center. There, laboratory tests will be conducted to check for petroleum products and their possible connection to those that entered the Black Sea during the tanker accidents.

Oil Spill in the Kerch Strait: What the Ministry of Environmental Protection Says

Ukraine's Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Svitlana Grynychak, stated during a telethon that there is currently no threat to the coast of Odessa from the oil spill from Russian tankers.

"We conducted modeling using satellite images to see how the pollution could spread and whether there is a threat to the coast of Odessa. As of now, there is no such threat, at least for the next week we have analyzed, and there is no threat. However, we continue to monitor the situation to keep it under control," she explained.

She added that today the pollution has reached the southern and southwestern coasts of Crimea. Spots measuring up to 15 kilometers have been recorded in the areas of Sevastopol and the village of Kacha. The contamination has also reached the territory of Evpatoria and some settlements north of the city. The total area affected by the pollution is estimated to be around 1,000 square kilometers.

Accident of Russian Vessels in the Kerch Strait: What is Known

On December 15, Russian media reported that two Russian tankers, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, began to sink near the Kerch Strait. According to the media, powerful waves split the tankers in half while both vessels were carrying up to 8,000 tons of oil. It later became known that the oil from the tankers polluted dozens of kilometers of beach. Local residents shared videos of the oil-covered seabirds and complained about a strong smell of oil that caused tears and vomiting.

Subsequently, the media conducted an investigation and uncovered how the river tankers ended up in the Black Sea and what led to the oil spill. Both of the sunken tankers were intended for river transport but found themselves in turbulent waters for the transshipment of petroleum products near the Kerch Strait.

It later emerged that the oil from the Russian tankers reached the shores of occupied Sevastopol and Balaklava Bay, contaminating approximately 18 kilometers of the city's water area.

Additionally, on January 8, ecologist Vladislav Balynsky noted that the oil from the Russian tankers is moving toward Odessa. He added that the spots could reach the Odessa region by the end of this week or closer to mid-January. Subsequently, a representative of the Ukrainian Navy, Dmytro Pletenchuk, stated that Ukrainian coasts are at risk of pollution.