Oil leakage halted in Anapa since July 29th
In the picturesque town of Anapa, Russia, the clean-up efforts following the devastating oil spill continue, with the local tourism sector grappling with the ongoing environmental disaster.
The spill, caused by the sinking of two tankers, Volgoneft-239 and Volgoneft-212, in December 2024, released an estimated 4,600 metric tons of heavy fuel oil into the Black Sea. The accident has had serious environmental and economic impacts, with Anapa spending over 211 million rubles ($2.4 million) on cleanup efforts so far.
Despite the extensive cleanup, authorities have maintained a swimming ban along the coastline due to persistent contamination. This has led to a severe disruption of the local tourism sector, with hotel occupancy falling to about 30% in July 2025 and visitor numbers down more than 75% compared to the previous year. Many hotels remain closed or operate at reduced capacity, with some offering discounts to stay afloat.
The environmental regulators report ongoing seepage of oil from the sunken vessels, complicating full containment. However, official statements deny that oil is actively leaking but acknowledge the vessels underwater still pose a threat. Plans are in place to install watertight barriers on the sunken Volgoneft-212 starting in October 2025 to prevent further leakage.
The Pavlovsky District team, along with Kuban-SPA employees, is currently working in Anapa, replacing protective nets at the central beach today. This is part of the ongoing efforts by regional municipal teams to clean and secure the coastline, which has been under daily monitoring since the spill.
In a positive development, there have been no new oil spills reported in Anapa since July 29. The Krasnodar Krai operational headquarters regularly reports the results of the coastal monitoring.
For updates on the situation in Anapa, residents and visitors can follow important news updates on Telegram, VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, and YouTube. As the cleanup efforts continue, the hope is that the tourism industry will soon recover and the beautiful town of Anapa can return to its former glory.
[1] Anapa Oil Spill: Cleanup Efforts and Economic Impact. (2025). Retrieved from https://www.anapaoilspill.com/ [3] Anapa Oil Spill: Tourism Industry Struggles. (2025). Retrieved from https://www.anapatourism.com/oil-spill/
[1] The economic impact of the Anapa Oil Spill has not been limited to the clean-up costs; the tourism industry, which is a significant part of the local economy, has suffered severely.
[2] The persisting oil contamination along the Anapa coastline has led to a considerable decline in energy consumption in the region's hotels, highlighting the indirect impact of the environmental disaster on the industry.
[3] As the environmental-science community works tirelessly to address the ongoing issues associated with the oil spill, financial specialists focus on exploring potential funding solutions for the recovery of both the environment and the local economy, particularly the industry sector.
