Authorities have not yet begun pumping fuel oil from the parts of the tankers that sank near Anapa.

Work is underway in the Kerch Strait to install piles for cofferdams, while the protective structures themselves have already been installed over the sunken parts of the fuel oil tankers. Rosmorrechflot reported that pumping will begin only after the piles are installed.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," the environmental consequences of the fuel oil spill in the Kerch Strait have not been eliminated even a year after the tankers sank, as acknowledged by scientists and authorities in Kuban. A representative of the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that all three cofferdams have been installed, and 29.6 kilometers of protective embankments have been constructed along the coast to protect beaches. However, the protective embankments did not withstand the winter storms; in January, volunteers reported fuel oil spills and partial destruction of the protective embankments. Work to pump fuel oil from the sunken parts of the ships will not begin until after the storm season. Prolonged fuel oil pumping could lead to the collapse of Anapa as a resort, Telegram users stated.

Blogger Max Anapsky published an official response from Rosmorrechflot to his inquiry on the progress of cleanup efforts after the fuel oil spill in the Kerch Strait on his Telegram channel.

The agency's official response, dated January 29, states that all three cofferdams have been installed, and work is underway to drive the piles necessary to secure the installed protective structures. After this, pumping, raising, and disposal are planned.

Twenty-eight vessels have been deployed for the offshore work. According to the latest information from the Russian government, a total of 774 people and 189 pieces of equipment are currently involved in emergency response, the agency noted.

The statement also emphasized that the federal state of emergency remains in effect.

The governor set the goal of returning the Krasnodar Krai to pre-fuel oil tourist numbers and assured that Anapa will be ready to welcome tourists in 2026. Blogger Yuri Ozarovsky recorded a video message before the Direct Line with Putin asking for permission to open Anapa's beaches in 2026, assuring that there are virtually no traces of fuel oil in the sea or on the shore. However, questions from Anapa were not heard during the Direct Line. The New Year holidays saw a decline in the number of tourists in Anapa, but bookings for the May holidays, according to preliminary data, show a 10% increase compared to last year's data.

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