The Black Sea is under a threat: the consequences of militarization  

In October 2024, we presented the environmental study “The Environment of Crimea: Changes and Losses during the Full-Scale War.” One of its chapters is devoted to the topic of the impact of hostilities and occupation on the marine environment. 

The militarization of the Black Sea and coastal zones of Crimea increases threats to the environment, disrupts the natural balance, and creates dangerous consequences for the entire ecosystem. In this article, we cover the main factors of the negative impact on the sea recorded after the full-scale invasion, as well as explain how the sinking of tankers near the Kerch Strait is dangerous for the environment and why it is important to hold the russian federation liable. 

Environmental consequences of war 

As a result of the construction of the bridge across the Kerch Strait, the unique ecosystems and lakes of Tuzla Island were destroyed, and the migration routes of fish and cetaceans in this strait were disrupted. 

On the southern coast of the Kerch Peninsula, the occupiers have turned the Opuk Nature Reserve, where marine and coastal ecosystems were protected, into a military training ground. The use of aerial missiles, vacuum bombs, and other munitions during military exercises negatively impacts the marine environment through chemical pollution and blast waves. Military exercises by the occupiers led to fires that destroyed large areas of steppe. 

Often, ammunition containing explosives, which contain heavy metals such as nickel, tungsten, tin, lead, aluminum, and zinc, ends up in the water. They are toxic to marine life. 

Explosions of drifting mines that move uncontrollably across the Black Sea can kill animals within a large radius of the detonation site, and in the case of cetaceans, at a much greater distance. Threat factors for porpoises and dolphins include underwater noise from combat and non-combat activities (construction of underwater structures, etc.), mine and explosive injuries, chemical pollution of the sea with ammunition and toxic missile fuel, as well as stress leading to the movement of fish schools and cetaceans from their usual areas of the sea. 

The last incident that triggered an ecological disaster occurred on December 15, 2024. That day, two russian tankers, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, sank near the Kerch Strait. The accident resulted in the release of more than 4,000 tons of fuel oil into the sea. 

Since the occupation of the Crimean peninsula, this is not the first time that oil products have been spilled into the Black Sea around Crimea. Such incidents occurred in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2020 due to discharges from warships and submarines, intentional sinking of seagoing vessels or the operation of old ships, which often caused accidents. The consequences of the previous russian tanker accident in 2007, from which marine ecosystems have not yet recovered, are also being felt. 

The presence of oil slicks due to the flooding of ships has been recorded since 2022 in the territories of the zoological reserve of national importance “Zmiinyi Island”, the botanical reserve of national importance “Zernov’s Phyllophora field”, the National Nature Park “Ivory Coast of Sviatoslav”, the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve of the NAS of Ukraine and others. 

Sea creatures and oil spills 

Marine life suffers from oil spills. After the accident of two old tankers near the Kerch Strait, more than 60 dead porpoises were found on the Caucasian shores, which is a lot for that area. The cause of their death may be pollution of the sea with oil products, the activities of the russian fleet, waste from livestock farms in the North Caucasus, or natural factors. However, fuel oil pollution should be considered separately among other risks. 

Doctor of Biological Sciences, scientist at the I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of the NAS of Ukraine Pavlo Holdin explains that fuel oil contains impurities of sulphur and heavy metals, and some of these substances are toxic and can cause acute or chronic poisoning. 

“In seawater and on the shore, these substances decompose under the influence of the sun, heat and salt water, as well as through consumption by bacteria. The products of this decomposition can also be toxic – more poisonous than their predecessors. A significant part of the fuel oil ends up in the soils at the bottom of the sea or beaches and forms a “pie” or “cocktail” – meaning, it accumulates in layers, and in this state, it is stored for years or moves up or down under the influence of temperature and physical shifts. In total, it may take more than 20 years for complete decay”, –Pavlo Holdin says.  

He notes that over the years, fuel oil components and their products have been poisoning marine organisms – algae and animals – and accumulating in them. Accordingly, the so-called apex predators at the top of the food chain suffer the most – predatory fish such as flounder, as well as dolphins and birds that suffer from physical contamination by fuel oil that sticks to their feathers. And of course, people who eat fish. In winter, when the water cools to +6 degrees and below, the fuel oil gradually settles to the bottom and is partially absorbed into the soil, but in summer it can partially rise to the surface again. 

How to prevent the death of marine life?  

“Oil products are removed from the water by specially equipped vessels. But working with russian fuel oil is difficult because it is heavy, buried in the water, not visible from the air, and it still needs to be found”, –Pavlo Holdin says. 

According to him, there are several approaches to cleaning petroleum products: collection with nets, collection with surface-active sorbents, and filtration. They all require equipment, so the best practice is to take a vessel that is specifically equipped for these purposes. Such vessels are available in large ports. Ukraine also has such a vessel. 

In order to reduce the burden on marine ecosystems, it is also necessary to demine the water area by neutralizing mines, as well as raising sunken ships to land for further disposal. 

Ukraine has developed methods to preserve marine ecosystems and prevent the death of marine life, but it cannot solve this problem, since the territory of the peninsula is temporarily under the control of the russian federation. Therefore, only the occupiers can effectively clean the sea of ​​oil products and mines.  

Environmental pollution and human rights 

The destruction of the natural environment of the Black Sea due to russian aggression both harms ecosystems and directly affects people’s lives. Polluted seas, poisoned fish and degraded natural resources pose threats to the health, safety and well-being of people living in coastal regions.  

The right of every person of present and future generations to live in an environment conducive to their health and well-being is enshrined in the 1998 Aarhus Convention. Currently, 47 European countries are party to the Convention, including Ukraine. In addition, the 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples contains many collective rights aimed at protecting the environment, but this document is advisory in nature. 

“Environmental pollution negatively affects the realization of many human rights”, – CrimeaSOS analyst Yevhenii Yaroshenko notes.  

Yevhenii emphasizes that environmental degradation directly affects a number of fundamental human rights, including the right to life, the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, the right to an adequate standard of living, the right to respect for private and family life and housing, the right to peaceful possessions, etc. 

Will russia be held liable for the environmental damage? 

russia can be held liable for oil pollution from tankers Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, says CrimeaSOS analyst Yevhenii Yaroshenko. 

“A number of international treaties protect the marine environment from pollution. In particular, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the 1973 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) and the 1992 Convention for the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution (Bucharest Convention) oblige States to take measures to minimize pollution from ships flying the flag of or registered in a State Party. The vessels Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 fall under these provisions, as they sailed under the flag of the russian federation, which is a party to the above-mentioned conventions”, – he explains. 

For example, Article 287 of UNCLOS allows Ukraine to resort to arbitral tribunal or special arbitral tribunal established under Annex VII and Annex VIII of the Convention to hold the russian federation liable for marine pollution. 

However, Yevhenii says that warships are practically excluded from the scope of many international treaties. Thus, UNCLOS, the Bucharest Convention and MARPOL contain environmental provisions that do not apply to any warships, naval auxiliary vessels, other vessels and aircraft owned by a State or used by it for non-commercial purposes. 

The militarization of the Black Sea is not only an ecological but also a humanitarian disaster. In addition to causing mass deaths of marine life and the destruction of entire ecosystems, and environmental degradation, it also violates fundamental human rights, including the right to an environment safe for life and health (Article 50 of the Constitution of Ukraine).  

russia is demonstrating disregard not only for the lives of marine life, but also for the ecological balance of the Black Sea, causing damage that has long-term consequences for nature and humanity. This reflects a complete disregard for international environmental standards and human rights, which becomes further evidence of the irresponsibility and destructive nature of the occupation regime.  

Therefore, it is important to make every effort to hold the russian federation liable for the damage caused to the marine environment, as well as to preserve the unique ecosystems of the Black Sea and prevent further destruction of nature, which is important not only for Ukraine. After all, preserving the ecosystems of the Black Sea is a global issue that requires joint action by many states, in particular, the states participating in the Crimea Platform.