Around 4,000 tonnes of oil products could have leaked into the sea based on the displacement of the tankers that sank in the Kerch Strait, but the figures may change during the work of divers, Russian Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov said on Friday.
“If we proceed from the displacement of the ships, yes, it is approximately around these numbers, but until the final work of the divers … we will not talk about the final figures yet, because they may probably change in dynamics,” Kozlov told reporters.
Meanwhile, Olga Shvab, the acting director of the Utrish natural reserve in the city of Anapa, where fuel oil spills were discovered earlier on Friday, told Sputnik that the contaminated area does not exceed 300 meters (984 feet). Emissions were found on rocks and do not come into contact with the forest, she said, adding that the removal of fuel oil will begin on Saturday.
On Sunday, two oil fuel-laden tankers, Volgoneft 212 and Volgoneft 239, wrecked in the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, during a storm.
The tankers were believed to be carrying an estimated 9,200 tonnes of fuel oil, of which about 3,700 tonnes leaked into the sea, a source said then.
UNI/SPUTNIK ARN
