On 15 December 2024, two oil tankers were damaged in a storm in the Black Sea. The resulting oil spill has since extended to an area approximately 400 square kilometres.
The two vessels, the Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, were caught in the storm approximately six kilometres from the Kerch Strait. The Volgoneft-212 sank, and one of the crew was killed. The Volgoneft-239 was damaged by the storm and drifted near to the Port of Taman.
Oil from both vessels leaked into the sea. The spill from the Volgoneft-239 stopped on 16 December, and efforts to contain the Volgoneft-212 were made in January, but it is estimated that 5,000 tonnes of oil leaked into the sea from the two vessels.
There habe been reports of oil on beaches as far south as Anapa on Russia's coast and as far north as Berdyansk in Ukraine. There are concerns that the oil spill could reach the coasts of Bulgaria, Romania, and Türkiye.
The heavy oil the tankers were carrying solidifies when it reaches a temperature of 25 degrees, causing it to sink to the seabed, and leading to concerns for ecology and marine life in the area.
