Black Seas Cleanup Mission Wraps Up: Anapa Oil Spill Recovery Achieved

Cleanup teams have completed the removal of fuel oil residues from the seabed close to the Russian resort town of Anapa, nearly a year following one of the most significant oil spills in the Black Sea, regional officials announced on Friday.

The emergency response center in the southern Krasnodar region reported that divers worked at 19 locations along a 14-kilometer (8.7 miles) stretch of coastline extending north from Anapa to the Taman Peninsula, where mainland Russia borders the annexed Crimea.

Experts conducted over 21,500 dives and gathered nearly 22,500 bags of oil-contaminated debris, totaling more than 2,000 metric tons, according to officials. The oil was extracted from the seabed using shovels and suction equipment to avoid it drifting ashore.

The December 2024 incident, triggered by the sinking of two tankers that spilled more than 4,000 tons of heavy fuel oil, necessitated extensive emergency measures throughout southern Russia and Crimea. A federal-level emergency status remains in effect due to the spill, and cleanup operations persist in other affected areas.

Additionally, a swimming ban remains enforced along the region’s coastline, with officials indicating that oil is still leaking from the wreckage, making containment efforts more challenging. Since the initial incident, at least 13 smaller spills have been reported in the Black Sea.