Environmentalists consider the data on the safety of Anapa beaches premature.

By June 1, new sand will appear on all sandy beaches in Anapa, as the government commission for the cleanup of the fuel oil spill has deemed this an effective solution. Water and soil samples at the pebble beaches meet standards, and they are being prepared for opening, the governor of Kuban stated. The quality of the sand brought to Anapa's beach is questionable; it is construction sand with clay admixtures, the ecologist pointed out, noting that this could cause long-term damage to the beaches. Users believe the goal of opening the beaches will be achieved despite the environmental damage. Quarry sand will not solve the problem of fuel oil emissions, but will only temporarily conceal the pollution on Anapa's beaches, environmentalists and activists point out. Despite government statements about their readiness to open the beaches on June 1, Igor Shkradyuk, coordinator of the industrial greening program at the Wildlife Conservation Center; Anton Doguev, ecologist and coordinator of the scientific and technological group "RussiaFromAdoYa" of the federal volunteer detachment; and Valery Brinikh, ecologist and former director of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, all interviewed by a Caucasian Knot correspondent on April 12 believe conclusions about the complete safety of the Anapa coastline are premature. According to them, there is still no scientifically proven or publicly available picture of the state of the environment, and the ecosystem itself requires time to recover.

Igor Shkradyuk noted that the beach season hasn't yet begun, but people are already swimming. "Officially, the beaches open on June 1st. That means there are no open beaches in Anapa. "People swim at their own risk," he said.

"Officially, there were no legal orders... which means, de jure, none of them are open," confirmed Anton Doguev.

"The coastline is actually being used safely, according to the authorities, but there is no confirmation of its safety in the legal or scientific sense," noted Valery Brinikh 

Some pebble beaches, according to Shkradyuk, have been lifted from the state of emergency. He admits their relative safety: "I agree that pebble beaches are safe."

Valery Brinikh directly questions the cleanup methods: "Why did they announce that the sand was removed and replaced by half a meter? Why not a meter or 20 centimeters? What scientific explanation is there for this?"

According to him, there is no data in open sources that would confirm that the pollution did not penetrate deeper: "Is there any evidence that the fuel oil could not have penetrated by a meter or a meter and a half? How was this even measured?"

Ecologists emphasize that the key problem is the underestimation of natural dynamics.

"The sea, pebbles, sand, and the seabed are not static. "This is a living ecosystem that is constantly moving and changing," Brinikh noted.

According to him, storms and currents inevitably mix the layers: "It's possible that what was on the bottom will end up on the shore again, and vice versa."

Doguev indirectly confirms this idea, suggesting postponing final conclusions: "In the summer, we'll see how the oil residues behave in the heat... But by autumn, it will be clearer."

Experts agree that contact with oil products leaves its mark.

Shkradyuk explains that the most volatile toxic substances disappear over time, but the heavier compounds remain. "Non-volatile carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons remain...," he noted.

He emphasizes the individual nature of the reaction: "No one can guarantee that you won't have an allergic or other reaction."

"It could be dizziness, poisoning, vomiting, intestinal damage, allergies... It all depends on the immune system, age, and health," Brinikh commented.

He cites children, pregnant women, and the elderly as particularly vulnerable. He notes that he himself would not risk going to such a resort and does not recommend it to others. However, he does not rule out the possibility that free travel packages funded by the government will become a trigger, and that people eligible for discounted or free travel packages will flock to Anapa en masse this season.

Doguev also believes that risks remain. "Beaches are conditionally dangerous... for people with gastrointestinal diseases, heart disease, vascular disease, and for children with weakened immune systems," he commented.

Shkradyuk emphasizes that it is precisely this category of people—those with health problems—who are entitled to benefits.

Experts are skeptical about whether old fuel oil is becoming safe. Shkradyuk explains that the decomposition process is ongoing, but slow. "Microbes will consume the remaining fuel oil within about four years," he believes.

Doguev is more cautious about the timeframe. "Fuel oil can be dangerous not for one year, but for at least three years," he believes.

"Oil products remain oil products, whether on shore or at sea," noted Brinikh, who also cites three years as the most dangerous period, requiring a recovery period for the environment.

Separate concerns arise regarding both the possibility of new emissions and the consequences of work already carried out. Shkradyuk warns: "There are risks of fuel oil spills from sunken tankers and oil spills."

"Technically, the danger exists daily... The zone is in a heightened danger until the work is completed," Doguev noted.

Brinikh points to numerous previous volunteer testimonies and media reports about contaminated sand being dumped directly on sandy beaches: "What will happen if tourists... unearth these dumps, or if the sea washes them away, which may have sunk not half a meter, but a meter deep and were not removed when the sand was replaced?"

Opinions are divided on the prospects for recreation. Shkradyuk allows for trips to certain beaches: "You can go to the pebble beaches and the sandy beaches in the center of Anapa."

Doguev also doesn't rule out a vacation, but with reservations: "I would go, but I'd choose my spots carefully. And I'd rather see the fall."

Brinikh takes a more assertive stance: "I wouldn't go to such a resort and I wouldn't recommend it to others."

In his opinion, it will only be several years before the resort can be fully restored. "At least three years after the tragedy is more appropriate," he believes.

Experts have come to the key conclusion that the ecosystem cannot recover instantly. Just like a living organism recovering from a disease, the sea and coastline require time and "rehabilitation." Environmentalists emphasize that ongoing monitoring is essential for an objective assessment. This primarily concerns regular water, sand, and air analyses, which should be conducted by relevant agencies, including Rospotrebnadzor, and published publicly. Experts believe that without such data, government statements about the safety of the resort's beaches remain incomplete, and responsibility for potential risks is effectively shifted to vacationers themselves. Therefore, it is premature to talk about complete environmental "normalization" in Anapa. In the absence of transparent and regular research and independent scientific assessments, the coastline's condition remains an area of ​​uncertainty, where travel decisions are made at one's own risk.

On December 15, 2024, two tankers carrying fuel oil sank in the Kerch Strait. A crew member of one of the tankers died as a result. In addition, an oil spill occurred, leading to catastrophic environmental consequences, according to the Caucasian Knot report "Fuel Oil Spill in the Kerch Strait".

Materials on the consequences of the fuel oil spill have been collected by the Caucasian Knot on the page "Eco-disaster in Kuban".