12:22, 26 April 2026

Manual removal of oil products in Tuapse has raised questions for authorities.

Manual removal of oil spills from the coast of Tuapse. Video still from the Telegram channel "Ecologist Zhora Kavanosyan" https://t.me/ecozhora/7547

More than 2,500 cubic meters of contaminated soil have been removed from the coast of Tuapse, the head of the district reported. Telegram users were surprised to see people with shovels, not specialized equipment, collecting the oil product in the published videos.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," on April 25, the head of the Tuapse District reported that approximately 988 cubic meters of oil products had been collected. Telegram users noted that the cleanup is being carried out with shovels and without respirators.

On April 24, after booms broke due to rising water levels in the Tuapse River, an oil spill occurred into the Black Sea. Kuban authorities previously attributed the leak to heavy rains, making no mention of a breach in the barriers.

The district head reported the removal of 2,500 cubic meters of contaminated soil.

The cleanup of the oil spill in Tuapse continues, Sergei Boyko, the district head, announced today on his Telegram channel.

"Contamination is being removed downstream of the Tuapse River, as well as in the waters and on the shore of the Black Sea. Work is ongoing around the clock. More than 2,500 cubic meters of contaminated soil have been removed. 132 people and 26 pieces of equipment are involved," he wrote.

As of 12:15 Moscow time, no comments have been posted under the official's post, and the ability to leave comments is disabled.

Sea Fresh oil products are constantly being washed out.

Several short videos recorded on the coast were published today by the author of the Telegram channel "Ecologist Zhora Kavanosyan" (33,700 subscribers). The footage, including some taken at night, shows people in protective suits scooping up oil products with shovels.

"Cleanup work on the central city beach is ongoing around the clock, but there aren't enough hands. And the sea keeps washing up fresh oil products," the author wrote.

Contributors to Telegram addressed questions to the authorities.

Are there really no oil skimmers or special pumps for pumping out the oil?

By 12:15 Moscow time, three comments had been posted under the post. Their authors drew attention to the cleanup conditions. "With shovels... Doesn't [the oil company] have oil skimmers and special pumps for pumping it out?" Elena Semenova exclaimed indignantly.

The author of the comment, nicknamed Olga, addressed the governor of Kuban, Veniamin Kondratyev, in absentia. "Where's the equipment, Veniamin Ivanovich? You only sing pretty songs on TV. Are we pushing the situation to the limit again?" – she wrote.

"I'm very pleased that the work doesn't stop even at night. Efficiency is more important than ever. I remember how in Anapa […] there were only volunteers on the shore. And there was a storm," Anna wrote.

On December 19, 2024, after the fuel oil spill in the Kerch Strait, Kuban volunteers complained about a shortage of equipment and personnel, the collected fuel oil was not being removed in a timely manner, and local authorities were merely feigning action by reporting the involvement of public sector workers and Cossacks. On December 20, 2024, Veniamin Kondratyev conducted a demonstrative photo report on the cleanup of Anapa's beaches, although the volunteers were not included in the shot. Meanwhile, the volunteers' strength is dwindling, and the authorities are providing no assistance with special equipment and supplies, volunteers stated that day.

As a reminder, on the night of April 20, a fire broke out at the oil terminal in the port of Tuapse after a drone attack. Residents reported that "an oil rain" had fallen in the city and considered the burning oil terminal a source of environmental hazard. On the afternoon of April 24, the governor of Kuban announced that the fire at the port had been extinguished.

On April 22, authorities acknowledged that in areas near the sea terminal (Grozneft, Sortirovka, and Zvezdny, as well as part of the Central District), benzene, xylene, and soot concentrations in the air exceeded permissible limits by two to three times. These data were revealed by measurements taken on the evening of April 21. The fire at the marine terminal is dangerous due to the release of combustion products, which are carcinogenic and toxic. Environmentalists emphasized that the "black rain" that fell in Tuapse reduced the level of harmful substances in the air, but led to soil pollution.

Air pollution from the fire and the oil spill in Tuapse affected the industrial zone, and popular hotels are located tens of kilometers from the port, tour operators stated. They noted that no decline in sales of resort tours is expected.

In Anapa, hotel reservations have increased amid government announcements about the imminent reopening of beaches. However, tourism industry representatives, as well as local residents, have expressed caution regarding the prospects for the start of the resort season. Environmentalists believe it is too early to assess the suitability of Anapa's beaches for tourists, as the sunken parts of the fuel oil tankers have not yet been raised, and residual pollution remains on the sand.

On December 15, 2024, two fuel oil tankers sank in the Kerch Strait. A crew member of one of the tankers died as a result. Additionally, 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".

Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/422757