Fuel oil that entered the Black Sea due to an accident involving Russian tankers may reach Ukrainian-controlled territories, specifically the shores of Odessa and Mykolaiv.
This was reported by Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk during a telethon.
"The currents are such that it is most likely that the fuel oil from the Russian tankers could reach our shores in Odessa and Mykolaiv. There is such a possibility, of course," the spokesperson said.
He emphasized that Ukraine does not militarily influence civilian vessels, which allows Russians to continue using the Kerch Strait for their purposes.
"We do not influence civilian shipping in terms of direct firepower because Ukraine is a civilized country. Accordingly, they continue their transshipment operations. They have little choice. They understand perfectly well that without oil exports and revenue, it will be even harder for them to continue this war," Pletenchuk added.
On December 15, two Russian tankers, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, sank in the Kerch Strait due to a severe storm.
Later, another tanker near the port of Kavkaz also had an accident, spilling at least 3,000 tons of fuel oil into the sea. Oil slicks have reached the beaches of Krasnodar Krai and Crimea.
Fuel oil residues from Russian tankers are still being found along the coast. The environmental disaster has led to the deaths of dolphins in the Kerch Strait.
