Krasnodar Region Declares Tuapse Oil Spill Cleanup Complete Following Ukrainian Drone Strikes

Russian emergency crews have completed cleanup operations in the Black Sea port town of Tuapse after a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on a local refinery caused an oil spill, Russian news agencies reported Wednesday. Tuapse has been under a state of emergency since late April, when successive waves of drone strikes sparked major fires at the Rosneft-operated facility, prompting an evacuation of nearby residents and releasing slicks of oil into the waters off the coast. Alexei Klushin, head of

Environmental experts and volunteers told the exiled news outlet Vyorstka last week that they believe the authorities are underreporting the environmental damage caused by the oil spill. The Tuapse facility has a production capacity of around 12 million metric tons per year, or 240,000 barrels per day. It produces naphtha, diesel, fuel oil and vacuum gasoil, most of which is exported. Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russian oil infrastructure in recent months in a bid to deprive the Kremlin of energy windfalls amid the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Attacks disrupted the operations of at least 16 refineries across the country between January and March, according to Reuters, leading to a slump in Russia’s oil production output. We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help . Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference.

Key points

• Environmental experts and volunteers told the exiled news outlet Vyorstka last week that they believe the authorities are underreporting the environmental damage caused by the oil spill.
• The Tuapse facility has a production capacity of around 12 million metric tons per year, or 240,000 barrels per day.
• It produces naphtha, diesel, fuel oil and vacuum gasoil, most of which is exported.
• Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russian oil infrastructure in recent months in a bid to deprive the Kremlin of energy windfalls amid the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
• Attacks disrupted the operations of at least 16 refineries across the country between January and March, according to Reuters, leading to a slump in Russia’s oil production output.