Russia declares state of emergency
Russia has declared a state of emergency due to pollution in several coastal cities caused by oil leaking from two tankers damaged by a storm in the Black Sea.
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In a written statement issued by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, it was stated that efforts to combat environmental pollution caused by the oil spill on the country's Black Sea coast are ongoing.
The statement, which noted that a state of emergency was declared to conduct these efforts more effectively, indicated that additional teams and financial resources would be allocated to the region.
Some Turkish companies are also providing significant support to the operations in the region.
It was reported that the Russian-owned tankers "Volgoneft-212" and "Volgoneft-239" were damaged in separate accidents on December 15 due to a storm in the Kerch Strait of the Black Sea, and an oil leak from the tankers was subsequently reported.
While it is estimated that a total of 4 thousand tons of oil have leaked from the tankers, a large number of officials and volunteers are working to clean up the spilled oil.
In social media posts, it can be seen that the sea surface and beaches in the affected coastal cities are covered in oil, while footage continues to emerge of volunteers working to rescue wild birds affected by the pollution in the region.