"Shadow Fleet" and Fuel Oil Slicks. How old Russian oil tankers are destroying the ecology of the Black and Azov Seas
On December 15, 2024, two Russian tankers wrecked in the Kerch Strait off the east coast of the temporarily occupied Crimea (Qırım). The Russians blamed the accident on bad weather in the strait. Both tankers were carrying oil products. Russian media reported that one of the tankers broke in half. According to the Russian Emergencies Ministry, one tanker "was damaged and ran aground" and the other "drifted".
Despite these vague statements from the Russians, oil products likely spread in the water. In December 2024, the slick reached the Sea of Azov and the temporarily occupied coast of the Sea of Azov, and on the other side, the slick spilled into the Black Sea. Ukraine's Ministry of Environmental Protection described the accident as "threatening to have catastrophic consequences" for the Black Sea ecosystem. Ukraine cannot investigate what is happening in the Sea of Azov because of the Russian occupation. Therefore, the consequences may be even worse than what Ukrainian environmentalists and government agencies report as of January 2025.
Svidomi examined the situation in the Azov and Black Seas after the Kerch Strait accident and whether it is possible to confront Russia and its actions in the temporarily occupied territories to preserve the Ukrainian environment.
The incident in the Kerch Strait
On December 16, 2024, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy, said that the Russian tankers that wrecked in the strait were not naval vessels. They are also very old, he said.
The weather conditions in the sea at the time were not suitable for them to be in the open sea... As usual, the Russians violated everything they could violate,
Pletenchuk said.
The tankers involved in the disaster in the Strait are Volgoneft river tankers, both over 50 years old. Ukraine has officially closed the Kerch Strait to shipping. In 2023, the Russians also closed the strait to civilian shipping. Only ships carrying military cargo could pass to the Sea of Azov.
Greenpeace Ukraine claimed the accident of the two tankers caused more than four thousand tons of fuel oil to spill into the water. The organization immediately stated that it threatened to be a long-term environmental disaster with severe consequences.
On December 17, a third Russian Volgoneft-class oil tanker carrying fuel oil issued a distress signal after a cargo leak was detected on the vessel. It was also carrying four thousand tons of fuel oil. The tanker was anchored at the Port of Kavkaz, a small harbour on the Chushka Spit in Krasnodar Krai, Russia.
Meanwhile, the pollution slick spread to the Black Sea. The Russian Dolphin Rescue Center in Krasnodar Krai reported that as of January 5, 2025, they had recorded 61 dead dolphins since the accident. At least 32 deaths are directly related to water pollution with fuel oil. The Taigan Safari Park in the temporarily occupied Crimea has taken in birds affected by the fuel oil.
On January 4, a state of emergency was declared in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol (Aqyar) due to a tanker accident, Suspilne Krym informed. The Russian Emergencies Ministry, in turn, reported that 18 km of the coastal zone in Kerch was polluted. They also added that they were “working to eliminate the consequences of the accident.”
However, Russian emergency services did not respond quickly to the fuel oil pollution. Thus, the Russian media outlet Meduza talked to volunteers in the Krasnodar region who were the only ones cleaning the coastline from fuel oil.
City and emergency services did not participate in the cleanup of the coastline in Anapa.
Russia does not indicate how many contaminated fuel oil slicks have reached the shores of Krasnodar Krai. According to Meduza, Krasnodar Krai is a major source of pollution. The accident on December 15 was exacerbated by another fuel oil spill from a Volgoneft tanker anchored in the village of Taman.
On January 11, the pollution reached the temporarily occupied Berdiansk Spit in the Azov Sea, Zaporizhzhia region. Ukraine cannot control what is happening there. There is no word on whether Russia is cleaning up the Azov Sea coastline.
Meanwhile, some pollution has reached the Black Sea coast controlled by Ukraine. On January 9, the Ministry of Environmental Protection reported that fuel oil was expected to reach the coastline in the Odesa region and further pollute it. On January 10, birds contaminated with fuel oil were found in the Tuzly Estuaries National Nature Park in the Odesa region.
Viktor Komorin, Acting Director of the Ukrainian Scientific Center of the Ecology of the Sea (UkrSCES), told Suspilne Krym that the danger from fuel oil would remain for months. Fuel oil can stay in the cold water of the Black Sea for quite a long time, and therefore the Ukrainian authorities should be prepared for such potential events.
As of January 19, the Russian Emergencies Ministry was surveying a total of 525 kilometers of coastline from Kerch to the village of Portovoye and 165 kilometers in Sevastopol, in the temporarily occupied Crimea. This data suggests that the coast in Crimea is polluted.
Viktor Komorin told Svidomi what were the main consequences observed by Ukrainian scientists after the accident.
Ukrainian scientists, in particular, UkrSCES, have recorded significant environmental consequences of the accident of the Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 tankers that occurred on December 15, 2024, in the Kerch Strait. The main consequence is the spread of fuel oil: the fuel oil released during the accident covered a large area of the Black Sea. According to Sentinel-1 and TerraSAR-X satellite monitoring data, fuel oil slicks were detected along the southern coast of Crimea and near the Caucasus coast. The impact on ecosystems is extensive – dozens of dolphins and hundreds of birds have been reported dead off the Black Sea coast, including the coasts of Yevpatoriia (Kezlev), Sevastopol (Aqyar), and other coastal areas of Crimea. The fuel oil is still spreading, posing a threat to biodiversity, including unique ecosystems such as the Zernov’s Phyllophora field (the first offshore, fully marine protected area in the Black Sea – ed.),
he says.
What Are the Environmental Consequences of This Disaster?
According to Radio Liberty, 14.5 kilometres of the Azov Sea coastline have been polluted, covering almost the entire Berdiansk Spit. Nearly 60 tons of sand have been removed from the shores of the Sea of Azov in Ukrainian territories temporarily occupied by Russia. There is no water supply in Kyrylivka and six other settlements in the occupied Melitopol district, and Russian authorities have banned drinking tap water. The official explanation cites a seasonal rise in groundwater levels and non-compliance with sanitary standards, but the real cause is fuel oil contamination.
Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Romania plan to collaborate with international organizations to address fuel oil pollution in the Black Sea. Ukraine has already reached out to the secretariats of relevant UN conventions, UNEP, UNESCO, the European Union, and the International Maritime Organization.
We are talking about dozens of Black Sea coasts covered with heavy fuel oil, thousands of kilometres of polluted coastline, thousands of dead birds, dozens of dolphins, and disrupted food chains in ecosystems. According to preliminary estimates by environmental inspectors, the fuel oil spill has caused more than $14 billion in material damage to the Black Sea ecosystem,
said Svitlana Hrynchuk, Minister of Environmental Protection.
Thousands of birds have died following the fuel oil spill, according to Ivan Rusiev, head of the research department at Tuzly Estuaries National Park. He noted that only about 5% of the dead birds are likely to wash ashore, making it impossible to determine the exact number, though it is estimated to be in the thousands.
Beyond the immediate pollution of the shore and water and the tragic loss of animal life, the fuel oil spill will have long-term consequences for the Black and Azov Seas. Viktor Komorin outlined two major impacts that Ukraine will face:
Firstly, pollution by heavy oil fractions, such as fuel oil, can have a prolonged effect. Fuel oil can settle on the seabed in shallow waters, harming benthic biocenoses, including copper banks and algae. This will reduce ecosystem productivity and lead to biodiversity loss. The second consequence is the continued release of fuel oil. According to the latest forecasts from UkrSCES, the Odesa region’s coastline is not under immediate threat of pollution. However, due to the low water temperature, fuel oil may remain in clots that settle to the seabed or eventually reach Odesa’s shores within a few months,
he explained.
On January 24, small fuel oil spots washed ashore in the Lyman territorial community of the Odesa region. While most were minor, there were numerous slicks, and it remains uncertain how many more might appear.
This spill already represents a disaster for the Black Sea and potentially for the Odesa region. Due to the temporary occupation of Crimea (Qırım), Ukraine cannot obtain accurate data on the extent of pollution on the peninsula. Nataliia Hozak, Office Director of Greenpeace Ukraine, emphasized that the organization expects thousands of birds to be impacted by the fuel oil slick.
The next consequence is that the heavy fraction of the fuel oil settles on the seabed, exposed to cold temperatures. Gradually, it continues to pollute marine organisms as a toxic substance,
she explains the long-term environmental impact of the pollution.
Fuel oil that washes ashore mixes with sand and soil, remaining in the environment for a long time. Nataliia Hozak, Office Director of Greenpeace Ukraine, highlights the consequences of such pollution for both animals and humans.
If no measures are taken to address the accident in time, the residual fuel oil will continue to pollute the soil, causing toxic effects on animals and plants in the region—and consequently, on people. Fuel oil is also toxic to humans, leading to long-term exposure risks such as respiratory issues and skin diseases,
she explains.
Hozak considers this disaster to be the second largest environmental catastrophe after the Russians blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. This raises an important question: is it possible to hold Russia accountable for this disaster?
Is It Possible to Hold Russia Accountable for This Accident?
On January 7, 2025, Olena Kramarenko, First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, told Suspilne Krym that Ukraine is preparing a lawsuit against Russia in the International Court of Justice for violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
According to the lawsuit, Ukraine argues that Russia failed to take adequate measures to mitigate the consequences of the tanker accident, thereby violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Additionally, Ukraine will seek compensation for the environmental damage caused by the disaster and plans to present supporting evidence in court.
A significant issue is Russia’s use of the “shadow fleet” to transport oil and oil products. Even in the temporarily occupied Sea of Azov, Russia avoids geolocating its tankers, such as the Volgoneft vessels, which constitutes another violation of maritime law. One of the tankers involved in the wreck in the Kerch Strait held the status of “Documents Suspended” in the register book of the Russian Classification Society. It also lacked insurance, meaning it was not legally authorized to operate on the water.
Russia employs similar tactics globally to transport oil using “shadow” ships — vessels that violate legislation and international law. These practices pose significant environmental risks. Ukraine is calling on other countries to impose sanctions on such ships.
The neglect of safety protocols for tankers carrying hazardous cargo endangers both the environment and human lives. Furthermore, the Russian occupation of polluted territories prevents Ukraine from responding quickly to incidents and gathering the evidence necessary to prove the pollution in court.
Viktor Komorin, Acting Director of the Ukrainian Scientific Center of the Ecology of the Sea (UkrSCES), asserts that Ukraine’s only viable recourse is to apply pressure on Russia through international courts and organizations.
It is necessary to involve international organizations: cooperation with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and other institutions to assess the environmental consequences and develop effective measures. Additionally, intensifying diplomatic efforts by initiating cases on environmental damage in international courts, such as the International Court of Justice or the Arbitration Court for the Law of the Sea,
Komorin explains. The Ministry of Environmental Protection is actively pursuing these steps.
Ukraine must continue monitoring the temporarily occupied territories, says Viktor Komorin.
We should maintain satellite monitoring by regularly analyzing satellite images and other sources to track the extent and direction of pollution. Spread modeling is also essential: using predictive models to forecast the short-term spread of fuel oil, taking into account hydrometeorological conditions,
Komorin explains.
The Criminal Code of Ukraine includes Article 441, which addresses ecocide. As of 2023, the Prosecutor General’s Office had investigated 15 cases of ecocide linked to Russian aggression and actions against Ukraine. In February 2024, the Prosecutor General’s Office filed Ukraine’s first-ever suspicion of ecocide as a war crime. Between early March and mid-September 2022, Russian forces shelled the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology 74 times, targeting the Neutron Source nuclear subcritical facility and the nuclear material storage facility. These attacks were deliberate and intended to harm Kharkiv and its citizens. The destruction of these facilities would have caused an environmental catastrophe, contaminating the surrounding area within a 10-kilometer radius.
The ecosystem of the Northern Black Sea is quite unique, particularly this isthmus and the Kerch Strait, which connects the two seas. The Kerch Strait itself is a unique ecosystem, so an accident in this region undoubtedly causes significant harm to the environment. While the Kakhovka HPP disaster impacted people and infrastructure, in this case, we are discussing the effects on living organisms,
explains Nataliia Hozak.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and its uncontrolled actions in the temporarily occupied territories are resulting in environmental and humanitarian disasters. The fuel oil spill in the Kerch Strait is just one of many examples. Unfortunately, tracking the full scope of these consequences remains impossible due to ongoing occupation and war.
