Emergency workers toiling to clean up an oil spill in the Black Sea have detected seven new slicks, a Russian official told the TASS state news agency on Friday, as authorities struggle to mitigate the effects of the nearly month-old disaster.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to establish a headquarters to manage the aftermath of the tanker accident in the Kerch Strait. This reaction from the Kremlin leader appears demonstrative,

In December 2024, two aging Russian tankers were damaged during a storm in the Kerch Strait, resulting in a significant oil spill that released approximately 2,400 metric tons of heavy fuel oil into the Black Sea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that more needed to be done to clean up an oil spill in the Black Sea, saying efforts so far appeared to have been insufficient to deal with the ecological disaster.