Russia clears beaches after Black Sea oil spill, declares emergency in Crimea
Reuters Russia declared a regional state of emergency on Saturday in Crimea, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014, as workers cleared tons of contaminated sand and earth on either side of the Kerch Strait following an oil spill in the Black Sea last month. Mikhail Razvozhaev, the Russia-installed Governor of the city of Sevastopol, […]
Oil spill in Black Sea smaller than first thought, Russia says
Moscow, Russia Reuters Russian investigators have determined that an oil spill from two tankers in the Black Sea last month was smaller than initially thought, the Transport Ministry said on Thursday. The oil leaked from two ageing tankers that were hit by a storm on 15th December. One sank and the other ran aground. People […]
Volunteers battle to clear spilled oil on Russia’s Black Sea coast
Vityazevo, Russia Reuters Volunteers struggled on Friday to shovel up tons of sticky oil from Russia’s Black Sea coastline following what President Vladimir Putin has called an ecological disaster. The oil spilled from two ageing Russian oil tankers that were severely damaged by a weekend storm in the Kerch Strait that separates southern Russia from […]
Crisis-hit Ukrainian city prepares for life after the war
Mykolaiv, Ukraine Reuters For the mayor of the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, wartime crises like water and power outages and a crumbling local economy are short-term obstacles to a long-term plan. Oleksandr Sienkevych believes that reforms and accountability, including overhauling how public firms are run, are critical to the Black Sea port’s future as […]
Ukraine says it has sunk a Russian patrol ship near Crimea
Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters Ukrainian sea drones hit and sank a Russian Black Sea Fleet patrol ship off occupied Crimea in an overnight attack, the Ukrainian military said on Tuesday. Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency said a special unit called Group 13 had fired Magura V5 maritime drones at the Sergey Kotov near the Kerch Strait, […]
Ukraine says it sank Russian large landing warship in Black Sea
Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters Ukraine destroyed a Russian landing warship off the coast of occupied Crimea in an operation with naval drones that breached the vessel’s port side on Wednesday and caused it to sink, Kyiv’s military spy agency and armed forces said. There was no immediate comment from Russia, which said earlier that it had […]
Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria sign deal to clear floating Black Sea mines
Istanbul, Turkey Reuters Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria signed an agreement this week on a joint plan to clear mines floating in the Black Sea as a result of the war in Ukraine, following months of talks between the NATO allies. Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler, his Romanian counterpart Angel Tilvar and Bulgaria’s Deputy Defence Minister […]
Ships backed up in Black Sea lanes as Russia warning shots raise tensions
London, UK Reuters Merchant ships remained backed up in lanes around the Black Sea on Monday as ports struggled to clear backlogs amid growing unease among insurers and shipping companies a day after a Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo vessel. Russia said its Vasily Bykov patrol ship on Sunday fired on the […]
Russian warship fires warning shots at cargo ship in Black Sea; shelling kills seven, including a baby, in Kherson region
Moscow, Russia Reuters A Russian warship on Sunday fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the south-western Black Sea as it made its way northwards, the first time Russia has fired on merchant shipping beyond Ukraine since exiting a landmark UN-brokered grain deal last month. In July, Russia halted participation in the Black Sea […]
Ukraine announces “humanitarian corridor” for ships stuck in Black Sea ports
Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters Ukraine announced a “humanitarian corridor” in the Black Sea on Thursday to release cargo ships trapped in its ports since the outbreak of war, a new test of Russia’s de facto blockade since Moscow abandoned a deal last month to let Kyiv export grain. At least initially, the corridor would apply to […]