EMEA News
"Significant Pollution" Results from Black Sea Fuel Oil Spill: Reports
An unknown quantity of fuel oil has been spilled at the Black Sea port of Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula, according to local media reports.
Ostap Semerak, Ukraine's Minister of Ecology, Wednesday said that the May 8 spill was caused by an accident, adding that the Ministry of Nature and Environment and the State Service for Emergency Situations are both doing "everything possible" to address the situation and minimise environmental damage.
The Ukraine's Ministry of foreign Affairs is reported to have sent a letter to Russian officials to request that the government immediately provide further information about the matter.
Sovereignty over the area is currently in dispute after Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation in 2014 following the Ukrainian revolution.
"The foreign Ministry expresses its deep concern about reports of the oil spill in the Black Sea near the city of Sevastopol temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea, which took place in early may and has led to significant pollution of the marine area of the spill," stated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the letter.
"Ukraine, as a coastal state has sovereign rights in the maritime areas temporarily occupied by the Autonomous Republic of Crimea has the right to request from other States to adhere to their obligations to prevent and overcome pollution in the marine areas of Ukraine."
