MOSCOW, December 24. /TASS/. Russia has no plans yet to introduce a federal emergency regime in the Krasnodar Region due to the spill of petroleum products in the Black Sea following a tanker accident, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"So far, no. Everything depends on the recommendations of specialists working on the spot," he said, responding to a question about plans to declare a federal emergency regime. "We are taking measures, but unfortunately the scale of the disaster is so large that we need time and additional forces and means to eliminate its consequences," the spokesman said.

Peskov pointed out that the ecological disaster remains in the center of attention of the head of state. "This is a major ecological disaster. You know that a commission headed by [Vice Prime Minister Vitaly] Savelyev is working on it. [Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander] Kozlov, for instance, is now working very actively there. As you know, Savelyev went there yesterday, and Kozlov has already been there. He has repeatedly reported to the president, the presidential administration and the government," the Kremlin spokesman said.

 

Tanker accident

 

On December 15, the Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 tankers sank in the Kerch Strait of the Black Sea during a storm. One sailor lost their life, while the rest were successfully evacuated. Emergency services revealed that the tankers were carrying about 9,200 tons of fuel oil, resulting in an oil spill in the Black Sea. Clean-up efforts are ongoing, with a working group of over 10,000 personnel mobilized for the emergency response.

Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov reported that 14,000 tons of oil-contaminated sand have been removed so far, and the volume of polluted soil could potentially reach 200,000 tons.