Russia allocates $7.8M more to clean up 2023 Kerch Strait oil spill

Russian authorities have allocated fresh funds to address the aftermath of a major oil spill in the Kerch Strait. The incident, which occurred in February 2023, has led to ongoing recovery efforts and legal action against those responsible. Since then, no further tanker accidents or oil pollution cases have been reported in the area. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin issued a directive outlining the financial measures. The Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport (Rosmorrechflot) will receive up to 712.4 million rubles ($7.8 million) from the reserve fund. These funds will support environmental monitoring, inspections, and the identification of potential leakage risks.

Earlier, 5.8 billion rubles ($63 million) had already been allocated for cleanup operations after the spill. The new funds will also subsidise the Marine Rescue Service's work in mitigating the emergency fuel oil spill's impact.

Authorities are pursuing legal action to recover costs. The Ministry of Natural Resources of Krasnodar Krai has filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for regional budget losses and environmental damage. In total, they aim to reclaim 34.2 billion rubles ($374 million) from the tankers' owners and operator. An additional 30.7 million rubles ($335,000) will cover budgetary shortfalls caused by the incident.

Rosmorrechflot must report on the use of these funds by February 1, 2027. The latest funding brings the total allocated for spill recovery to over 6.5 billion rubles ($70.8 million). Legal efforts continue to hold the responsible parties accountable for environmental harm. The government's measures aim to prevent future incidents while addressing the ongoing effects of the 2023 spill.