Ten dolphins have been found dead washed up on the shore after at least two Russian oil tankers sank in the Black Sea.
The heartbreaking images were reportedly filmed in Krasnodar, Russia, which borders the Black Sea to the east of Russian-occupied Crimea in Ukraine, and show some of the lifeless dolphins washed up on the shore.
Russian and Ukrainian media both said that the dolphins were found on the Russian coast and are believed to have died as a result of acute poisoning from fuel oil vapours, fish poisoning, or contaminated water following the oil spills.
Russian ecologists have registered a mass stranding of this species of cetaceans on the coast.
Ukrainian media said that the first dolphin was spotted on 18th December by volunteers, with eight more dolphins being found on 22nd December, six on the shore and two in the water, near Novorossiysk, in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai region.
Russian reports said that 10 dead dolphins had been spotted.
Footage of the oil spills shows one Russian tanker splitting in two and sinking into the Black Sea. A second oil tanker then also sank.
The Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 were wrecked in the Kerch Strait linking Russian-Occupied Crimea to Krasnodar, with the Sea of Azov to the north and the Black Sea to the south.
There have also been reports of a third Russian oil tanker sending a distress call shortly after the first two sank.
Ukraine has called for sanctions against Russia over what has been described as a major environmental disaster.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
