Photo Report: People's Efforts with Empty Hands to Remove Oil Pollution from Russia's Coast

The dimensions of the environmental disaster along the coastal areas of the Krasnodar region in Russia are becoming clearer day by day, while volunteers say the government is not providing much assistance for cleaning up the area. On December 15, two tankers had an accident in the Kerch Strait, the waterway between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, and ran aground. Approximately four thousand tons of fuel oil (mazut) leaked from these tankers into the sea, quickly polluting the coastal areas. Now, people are voluntarily engaged in cleaning the beach and rescuing wildlife affected by this pollution, a task they say they are doing without government support. Ksenia Visotskaya, one of the volunteers involved in cleaning the beach, states, "Even with the use of respiratory masks, protective glasses, gloves, and safety clothing, after about two and a half hours of work in this area, the smell and vapors from the pollutants affect the body. First, a headache, then nausea and vomiting. I had to lie down for several hours to feel better." Volunteers are collecting oil-soaked sand near a village in the Krasnodar region of Russia. Visotskaya adds, "We brought our children here to enjoy the fresh air. Just imagine how many parents have come here solely for the health of their asthmatic children. Now these kids have to breathe this polluted air." This activist further states that they "complain about the smell in the air, suffer from nausea, and have difficulty breathing. But there is no place for them to relocate. The government has neither allocated money for this task nor provided any means of transportation." On December 15, two tankers had an accident in the Kerch Strait, the waterway between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, and ran aground. Approximately four thousand tons of fuel oil (mazut) leaked from these tankers into the sea, quickly polluting the coastal areas. Now, people are voluntarily engaged in cleaning the beach and rescuing wildlife affected by this pollution, a task they say they are doing without government support. Ksenia Visotskaya, one of the volunteers involved in cleaning the beach, states, "Even with the use of respiratory masks, protective glasses, gloves, and safety clothing, after about two and a half hours of work in this area, the smell and vapors from the pollutants affect the body. First, a headache, then nausea and vomiting. I had to lie down for several hours to feel better." Volunteers are collecting oil-soaked sand near a village in the Krasnodar region of Russia. Visotskaya says, "We brought our children here to enjoy the fresh air. Just imagine how many parents have come here solely for the health of their asthmatic children. Now these kids have to breathe this polluted air." This activist further states that they "complain about the smell in the air, suffer from nausea, and have difficulty breathing. But there is no place for them to relocate. The government has neither allocated money for this task nor provided any means of transportation." A tanker that has run aground on the shores of the Krasnodar region of Russia, December 16. The two affected ships, which are over fifty years old, are registered in small companies. Therefore, there are concerns that the owners of these two tankers might evade serious consequences of the incident by dissolving the company and declaring bankruptcy. One of these two companies has no other official assets besides this sunken ship, and the second company only has one other old vessel registered in its name. Volunteers are collecting and cleaning oil-soaked sand on the shores of the Krasnodar region. Marina, a resident of Anapa on the Kerch Strait, says her eldest son suffered from nausea due to the smell of fuel oil. She sent her son to Voronezh to stay with his grandmother for now, but emphasizes that not all local residents have such an option. Marina states, "Hundreds of families with their children live here. I don’t understand why, despite the declaration of a state of emergency, no plan has been prepared for evacuating people. Without government support, we have to think about our children ourselves. As for rescuing animals and wildlife, only a few volunteers are working on that." Marina states, "Hundreds of families with their children live here. I don’t understand why, despite the declaration of a state of emergency, no plan has been prepared for evacuating people. Without government support, we have to think about our children ourselves. As for rescuing animals and wildlife, only a few volunteers are working on that." Women at a car wash that volunteers have turned into a temporary emergency center for rescuing birds. According to local volunteers, about four thousand people are participating in the beach cleanup and searching for injured animals. However, these individuals must be regularly replaced, as after about two and a half hours of work in these conditions, they experience respiratory problems and are forced to leave the site. Ksenia Visotskaya points out this limitation, saying, "Despite the high number of volunteers, we still need more." She adds, "Local people are organizing tasks in virtual groups on social media. Some are booking hotels for volunteers, while others are collecting humanitarian aid." Ksenia Visotskaya points out this limitation, saying, "Despite the high number of volunteers, we still need more." She adds, "Local people are organizing tasks in virtual groups on social media. Some are booking hotels for volunteers, while others are collecting humanitarian aid." The efforts of the people to clean the Krasnodar beaches. Volunteers established a headquarters for rescuing birds on the first day of the incident. Ksenia says, "Birds must be cleaned one by one by hand, first with starch and then with things like dish soap or laundry detergent. We have not yet found anything better than these household cleaners for this task." Finding birds trapped in thick layers of fuel oil is not easy. In some areas, oil has penetrated several centimeters into the beach sand. According to Ksenia, finding birds that have only part of their beak sticking out of the fuel oil is very difficult. Rescued birds, after being cleaned, are transferred to a rehabilitation center near Anapa. Finding birds trapped in thick layers of fuel oil is not easy. In some areas, oil has penetrated several centimeters into the beach sand. According to Ksenia, finding birds that have only part of their beak sticking out of the fuel oil is very difficult. Rescued birds, after being cleaned, are transferred to a rehabilitation center near Anapa. A bird coated in fuel oil on the beach near Anapa. Vladimir Latka, the scientific director of the Whale Conservation Fund, emphasized in an interview with a Russian media outlet that the penetration of fuel oil into the sea threatens the population of at least one species of dolphins. This marine biologist stated in an interview with the independent media outlet Khalod, "The Taman Bay is the birthplace of Black Sea bottlenose dolphins, and 38 other species of aquatic animals pass through the Kerch Strait from the Sea of Azov and the western Black Sea twice a year." According to Mr. Latka, seven species of these aquatic animals are at risk. This marine biologist stated in an interview with the independent media outlet Khalod, "The Taman Bay is the birthplace of Black Sea bottlenose dolphins, and 38 other species of aquatic animals pass through the Kerch Strait from the Sea of Azov and the western Black Sea twice a year." According to Mr. Latka, seven species of these aquatic animals are at risk. A bird coated in fuel oil on the beach near Anapa. Galina, a resident of Temryuk in the Krasnodar region, is among the volunteers involved in collecting and cleaning up fuel oil spills. According to Galina, all the shops around Anapa provide respiratory masks and other protective equipment for volunteers free of charge. She emphasizes with irony, "They are also ordinary people like us. It seems that once again, it is up to us to take care of each other. Just like always." According to Galina, all the shops around Anapa provide respiratory masks and other protective equipment for volunteers free of charge. She emphasizes with irony, "They are also ordinary people like us. It seems that once again, it is up to us to take care of each other. Just like always."