“Never experienced so massive pollution”
Russia triggers massive environmental disaster
Updated on 05.09.2025 – 4:42 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
A new oil accident in front of Russia’s Black Sea coast has caused considerable environmental damage. Despite official appeasement, reports and pictures show an alarming extent.
A new oil accident in front of the Russian Black Sea coast triggered environmental alarm in the middle of last week. According to the independent news portal “Meduza”, there was a leak on August 29 when loading oil products in the port of Noworossijsk. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), operator of the affected system, first spoke of an “emergency situation” during the tank process.
The cause was therefore a defective hose at the loading station, over which oil got into the Black Sea. Citing local authorities, the state Russian news agency TASS reports that more than one ton of oil has left. The emergency in the region was then proclaimed.
According to official information from the Russian lake transport authority, contamination was quickly contained. The Russian environmental supervision of Rosprirodnadsor also confirmed this, but called a significantly higher level of exit of around 30 cubic meters. However, experts and volunteers question this presentation.
Contributions in the social networks draw a completely different picture than the official representation of Russia. Since August 31, pictures of oil -smeared water birds that have been found in the region around Noworossijsk and Anapa are circulating there. Voluntary reports that 24 affected animals had been brought in by September 1st alone, three of which have died. The animals showed symptoms such as chemical burns and poisoning.
The environmental activist and marine researcher Sergei Statittschny told Tass that the oil carpet had already expanded to an area of around 350 square kilometers. He spoke of “at least ten tons” petroleum products and an unusually dense layer of oil: “In my entire career, I have never seen such a massive layer of pollution,” said Statitschny. The main part of the contamination is currently driving west of Anapa and in the direction of the Crimea peninsula, it said.
How serious the ecological consequences are is assessed differently. Igor Wachschruschew from the Tauri Academy in Simferopol spoke of rather little damage, since the oil does not cross any particularly sensitive zones. Long -term effects on fish stocks or dolphins are not to be expected according to the current status. Nevertheless, the animal world can be observed closely.
The environmental activist Igor Schkradjuk, on the other hand, described the “Agentstvo” portal that the first oil residues had appeared on the beaches of the Krasnodar region within a day. Oil traces were also documented in Anapa. “The smell is reminiscent of diesel,” Schkradjuk is quoted, “but unlike a heating oil accident, there is no black covering on the shore – it is hardly visible.”
A spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy also confirmed the extent of the incident to journalists. Oil pollution has spread “over a rather large area” and is located in a sea area that is under Russian control.
