Area of oil pollution in Black Sea reaches nearly 800 square kilometers after Russian attack — ecologist

The oil slick that covered the Odesa coastline after Russian attacks on the port of Chornomorsk on April 26 has reached about 793 square kilometers.

Vladyslav Balinskyi, an ecologist and a staff member of the Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park stated this on Facebook, according to Ukrinform.

“Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite images from April 28 show that the oil slick spread overnight to the north and northeast—toward Ochakiv and beyond. The measured area of marine surface pollution is about 793 square kilometers,” the ecologist wrote.

Balinskyi added that oil patches can already be seen on Odesa’s beaches, including at 411 Battery. According to him, the slick is currently moving northward toward the Dnipro-Buh estuary.

According to local Telegram channels, oil has also reached the central beach of the city of Chornomorsk.

As Ukrinform reported, following the Russian attack on the Odesa region on April 26, a spill of sunflower oil was recorded in the waters of the Chornomorsk port. During the shelling, a storage tank containing 6,000 tons of sunflower oil was destroyed. Despite efforts to contain the spread, the substance entered the port’s water area.

According to the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority, specialized vessels from the Chornomorsk branch are involved in containing and cleaning up the pollution, including oil-spill response ships, floating booms, a Lamor skimmer for collecting pollutants, and specialized vehicles for pumping out the contaminated substance.

Photo: State Environmental Inspectorate of the South-Western District