July 10, 2026 A damaged tanker in 2024. @opershtab23 / Telegram Satellite imagery published this week shows a new oil slick near the site of the December 2024 spill along Russia’s southern Black Sea coast, according to monitoring services. Slicks consistent with an oil film appeared near the sunken bow of one of the vessels in European radar and optical satellites on July 1 and July 6, Sky Eye, an open-source satellite monitoring service, said Thursday. The original wreck released thousands of metric tons of heavy fuel, known as mazut, in what was described as the Black Sea region’s worst environmental disaster in decades. Authorities built metal sarcophagi over the tankers, roughly the size of a five-story building, to isolate and later pump out the remaining mazut. Sky Eye experts suggested the renewed leak could be triggered by rising water temperatures that heat the trapped mazut, allowing lighter components to escape through structural gaps, or by ongoing operations to pump the remaining fuel out of the tankers. Environmental experts told the exiled outlet Agentstvo that the leak likely began before this week, even as early as June. They noted that fuel oil expands five times as much as water and steel when heated, which can force the substance out of the containment structure. “It leaks, and leaks slowly. We just see it every once in a while,” said Yevgeny Simonov of the Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group. Environmentalist Igor Shkradyuk estimated that several dozen kilograms of mazut may have leaked into the Black Sea, based on the published satellite imagery. Despite the ongoing leak, Russian authorities have vowed to press on with the 2026 tourist season in the southern Krasnodar region, which is home to vast stretches of beaches that are popular among Russian vacationers. Officials have approved 75 beaches for reopening as of July 3, with 11 others undergoing review. Read more about: Environment , Krasnodar , Black Sea Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, 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. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Russian Government Aims to Reopen Black Sea Beaches by June After Oil Spill Cleanup Swimming has been banned around the resort city of Anapa in the Krasnodar region since thousands of metric tons of heavy fuel oil, known as mazut, washed... 2 Min read Scores of Birds Stricken in Krasnodar After Latest Black Sea Oil Spill Authorities said around 30 cubic meters of oil, or roughly 200 barrels, leaked during loading at the Novorossiysk port on Aug. 29. 1 Min read Russia Declares Federal Emergency Over Black Sea Oil Spill Criticism over the government’s handling of the cleanup efforts has grown over the past week. 2 Min read ‘Left to Fend for Themselves’: Volunteers Step Up as Russian Government Falters in Black Sea Oil Spill Response Volunteers told MT about being forced to buy their own protective equipment and cleaning supplies as they scrub beaches clean of oil. 4 Min read
Russia
Foreign tourist flow to Russia rises 23% in January-May
• What happened: Foreign tourist arrivals in Russia increased by 23% from January to May 2026, reaching 2 million visitors compared to the same period last year...