Not the First DisasterKerch Bay has experienced technological disasters before. In November 2007, another Volgoneft tanker sank in the same area. Late autumn coincides with bird migration to their wintering grounds. Some species settle on the Kerch Bay coast as their final destination, while others stop there temporarily. During the 2007 spill, many birds were on the Taman Peninsula when fuel oil from Kerch Bay washed ashore. The oil coated their feathers, rendering them unable to fly. Some birds suffocated after ingesting the oil. The disaster ultimately led to the deaths of over 30,000 birds. The fuel oil that reached the shore mixed with clay, releasing toxic substances over an extended period. Ecologist Dmitry Shevchenko suggests that the recent spill poses less of a threat to the environment than the 2007 incident. In December 2024, northern winds helped contain the spread of fuel oil, and most migratory birds had already completed their journey by the time of the spill. Deaths of Birds and Animals The number of birds that have died as a result of the 2024 oil spill has now exceeded 1,000. Volunteers are working to save them using their own resources: warming the birds, cleaning them, and sending them to rehabilitation centers. “If a significant portion of a bird’s body is covered in fuel oil, it won’t be able to clean itself and will not survive. Colleagues from Sochi have already reported birds with small oil stains on their bellies or legs. In theory, if the contamination is minimal and they manage to escape the affected area in time, they might survive without assistance,” said ecologist Dmitry Shevchenko. To fully assess the extent of the damage, a comprehensive examination of the water area is necessary. However, this has not yet been carried out, as all efforts are currently focused on cleaning up the oil and rescuing birds. Analyzing the water and fish will help determine the impact on crustaceans and cetaceans, which will largely depend on how much oil ultimately enters the sea. A few days after the tankers sank, volunteers discovered that fuel oil had seeped into the sand, finding traces beneath the beach’s surface layer. Ecologist Dmitry Shevchenko believes the fuel oil will continue to penetrate further, reaching depths where it cannot be removed. The long-term effects on the soil will only become clear in the coming years. Authorities Struggle to Address Disaster Aftermath Volunteers report that the authorities are not removing sacks of collected fuel oil from the beaches, resulting in repeated contamination. Some sacks are even being carried back into the sea. Volunteers have recorded a video appeal to Vladimir Putin, urging him to take action to improve the rescue efforts. Local residents remain uncertain about how the collected fuel oil will be disposed of. According to the Telegram channel Ostorozhno, Novosti, the Anapa authorities are transporting sacks of oil to an industrial area near single-family homes. Residents in the area have already reported headaches caused by the strong odor. The authorities delayed declaring a federal state of emergency for 11 days after the disaster, losing valuable time during which rescuers from other regions could have been mobilized to assist with the cleanup. “The key questions now are how intensively the sea will continue washing oil ashore and in what quantities. Another concern is how much oil remains on the seabed. It’s difficult to make predictions because weather conditions could shift tomorrow, potentially depositing fuel oil somewhere on the coast of Crimea,” ecologist Dmitry Shevchenko explained. | 
