It's reached Romania—the oil slick is heading towards Odessa.

This was reported on Sunday, January 12, on the air of the "Kiev 24" channel by the spokesperson for the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Dmitry Pletenchuk.

Oil slicks are moving towards the shores of Odessa

According to him, there is a significant risk that the oil slicks will soon reach the shores of Odessa. The currents of the Black Sea circulate counterclockwise, which could transport the pollution to the southwestern coast of Ukraine and further to Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey.

"I really hope to be mistaken, but the currents map shows an unfavorable situation", notes Dmitry Pletenchuk.

He mentions that oil has already been spotted on both the Turkish and Romanian coasts, confirming the potential for an ecological disaster for the Ukrainian resort.

Russian tankers are the main threat

The military official also added that the primary threat currently comes from Russian tankers that are over 50 years old. They continue to transport oil products and grossly violate safety standards.

"The Russian Federation is choosing between ecology, human safety, and oil sales, and unfortunately, the choice is always made in favor of the latter. Their approach — to make money at any cost, even at the expense of destroying nature", adds Pletenchuk.

It is worth noting that Odessa, as the only seaside resort in Ukraine, risks facing ecological consequences that will affect not only tourism but also the health of local residents. The oil spilled in the Black Sea has already caused the death of marine animals and long-term water pollution.

More on the ecological disaster in the Black Sea

Recall that the oil spill occurred after the accident of two Russian tankers, "Volgoneft-212" and "Volgoneft-239," which split during a storm on December 15, 2024, in the Kerch Strait. A total of 8,600 tons of oil entered the sea. Due to military actions, ecologists cannot eliminate the oil slick in the sea until it reaches the shore. Meanwhile, birds contaminated with oil have already been spotted in the Tuzlovsk limans. We also reported that yesterday there was a new leak of oil products from the stern of the "Volgoneft-239" tanker, which is currently stranded near the village of Tamany.