The fire on the tanker Aframax Rio in the Black Sea did not cause significant environmental damage, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. According to him, the oil from the damaged ship burned completely, and the necessary measures were taken quickly and effectively.
“We got off lightly, so to speak“, Peskov added in a comment quoted by TASS. He pointed out that crude oil, not oil products, was being transported in this case, and said that this limited the potential environmental consequences. Peskov also said that there was no need for special instructions from President Vladimir Putin, as the Ministry of Transport reacted promptly.
23-member crew rescued
The Liberian-flagged tanker Aframax Rio was attacked on October 6 near Sochi. According to the Russian Ministry of Transport, the ship, which was carrying oil, was hit by unmanned aerial vehicles and a fire broke out on board.
All 23 crew members were rescued. They are Indian citizens, and according to preliminary data, no one was injured. TASS reported that the crew members refused hospitalization.
Pollution data
Dmitry Plyshkin, head of the administration of the federal territory “Sirius“, said that the concentrations of pollutants in the area are significantly below the maximum permissible standards and do not pose a threat to health. These data are related to air measurements in the area, while the assessment of the overall impact on the marine environment was made by Peskov.
The incident near Sochi occurred a day after an attack on ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. Vladimir Putin has received reports of attacks on tankers in the region.
Sources: focus-news.net, tass.com