Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria will jointly fight against fuel oil pollution of the Black Sea
14.01.2025 - 14:03
The countries of the Black Sea region have agreed on a joint strategy to overcome the environmental crisis caused by the accident of Russian tankers.
Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria have agreed on actions to coordinate with international organizations in connection with the large-scale pollution of the Black Sea with fuel oil. This was reported by Ukrinform with reference to the head of the Ministry of Environment Svitlana Grinchuk.
During the online meeting, Grinchuk discussed the situation with the Minister of Environment of Romania Mircea Feket and the Acting Minister of Environment of Bulgaria Petar Dimitrov. The participants agreed to work together to limit the entry into the sea of the outdated Russian fleet, which poses a threat to the ecosystem.
According to the ministers, there is currently no verified data on the consequences of the accident of Russian tankers on December 15, 2024. However, satellite images indicate a significant scale of pollution – the fuel oil film reached Yevpatoria in the temporarily occupied Crimea. According to experts, more than 4,000 tons of fuel oil spilled into the sea.
Svitlana Grinchuk emphasized that the cooperation of Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria is a shared responsibility, since the Black Sea unites a number of European countries.
“Mathematical models do not show the movement of the stain to the west, but the consequences of the accident of the Russian tankers create risks for the entire ecosystem of the sea. We are talking about tens of kilometers of fuel oil film, thousands of dead birds and dolphins and disrupted food chains,” the minister noted.
Ukraine has already appealed to the UN, UNEP, UNESCO, the EU and the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The Commission for the Protection of the Black Sea from Pollution agreed to hold an extraordinary meeting to consider this incident. In addition, the matter will be discussed at a meeting of the IMO Subcommittee on Pollution Prevention on January 27.
USM previously reported that the accident of Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea caused an ecological disaster that has already killed more than fifty dolphins.
