Russia has declared a federal state of emergency over an oil spill in the Black Sea, which came after a tanker "split in half" during a fierce winter storm.
The head of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, Alexander Kurenkov, made the call after a safety meeting on Wednesday, the ministry Telegram channel said on Thursday.
Newsweek has contacted Russia's Ministry of Transport, via email, for comment.
Why It Matters
The oil spill took place in the Kerch Strait, which separates Russia from Crimea. The region was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014 and has served as logistics hub for its forces since President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
What To Know
The Russian oil tanker Volgoneft 212, which had been carrying more than 4,000 tons of the fuel, broke open off the coast of Crimea on December 15.
Video footage showed the half-submerged ship as it sank in the rough waves. Russian authorities launched an aircraft rescue mission to save the crew on board, but one person was killed in the shipwreck.
Two other ships got into difficulty alongside the Volgoneft 212 as it broke apart in the storm. A second vessel, the Volgoneft 239 sustained damage, while a third tanker called the Volgoneft 109 remained intact, according to Russian media. both ships' crews were rescued.
All three ships were over 50 years old, according to trade outlet Ports Europe.
Volunteers helping to clean up the oil spill on Russia's Black Sea coast had reportedly been calling for Putin to provide more assistance.
Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said that he had asked for a federal state of emergency to be declared because his region "does not have enough resources for this work."
Although a state of emergency had already been declared in two municipalities of Krasnodar Krai, a territory in southwestern Russia, the new state of emergency will allow for a federal response, which means additional resources and funding.
What People Are Saying
Head of the Russian Emergencies Ministry Alexander Kurenkov said on Thursday: "Taking into account the current situation and the reports we have heard, I propose classifying the emergency situation caused by the tanker wreck in the Kerch Strait as a federal emergency and establishing a federal level of response."
Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said: "We have declared a regional emergency regime since December 25, and allocated 1.2 billion rubles [just over $11 million] from the reserve fund. We have systematically approached beach cleanup, but emissions continue. Every day, volunteers collect oil products, come in the morning—and everything starts all over again.
"Therefore, it is important to stop the problem at sea, then there will be much less work on the shore. It is impossible to do this with the help of the regional forces. Another important problem is disposal. Thousands of tons of fuel oil with sand are in temporary storage areas. We cannot keep them there for long.
"Taking into account possible new emissions, the forces of specialized companies in the region, which process the soil and are already working at the limit of their capabilities, will not be enough. I am grateful to Alexander Vyacheslavovich Kurenkov for the decision to introduce a federal emergency regime."
What Happens Next
On Thursday, Kurenkov said that only 15 percent of the necessary work in relation to the pollution of the Black Sea coast had been carried out.
Now that a federal state of emergency has been declared, Russian state funds will be directed to the cleanup effort and response.
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