Authorities reported no fuel oil spills in the tanker flood zone near Kuban.

There are no oil spills near the tanker fragments that sank in the Kerch Strait, the Russian government reported. The Russian Ministry of Health proposed recognizing Anapa as a resort of federal significance.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on February 20, the Russian government reported no new fuel oil emissions on the shores of Anapa and the Temryuk district. Volunteers, in turn, pointed out that the authorities are turning a blind eye to the real state of the beaches and published photos and videos of the emissions after the storm. On February 21, the Kuban operational headquarters acknowledged the emissions, stating that they were "old fuel oil emissions" that remained on the seabed. The beach lessor in the village of Vityazevo began to add a new layer of sand from quarries to a test site. This restoration experience may subsequently be extended to other beaches in the emergency zone, the Kuban emergency response center reported on February 25.

A meeting of the government commission for the liquidation of the consequences of the emergency in the Kerch Strait was held, the Russian government announced.

"Monitoring of the Black Sea waters, as well as the coast of the Krasnodar Territory and the Republic of Crimea, continues. Satellite images in the area of ​​the tanker wreck in the Black Sea have not revealed any confirmed oil spills," the statement read.

Since the beginning of the work, more than 185,000 tons of contaminated sand and soil have been collected. More than 3,000 km of coastline have been cleaned, including repeatedly. In total, more than 180,000 tons of contaminated sand and soil have been disposed of by specialized organizations or recycled. The combined force involved in the emergency response comprises 850 personnel and 195 pieces of equipment.

Against this backdrop, it has become known that the Russian Ministry of Health has prepared a draft resolution that will officially recognize Anapa as a federal resort. The document was published on the federal portal of regulatory legal acts, Kommersant reports.

The draft proposes recognizing the municipal district of the resort town of Anapa in Krasnodar Krai, with a total area of ​​981,800 hectares, as a federal resort. This status provides for a special regime for the protection of natural medicinal resources, the establishment of strict sanitary zones, and the development of resort infrastructure with federal budget support. The project will undergo public discussion, approval by agencies, and expert review.

As a reminder, on April 18, 2025, Rospotrebnadzor (the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing) declared 141 beaches in Anapa and nine beaches in the Temryuk District unsuitable for recreation.

On December 15, 2024, two tankers carrying fuel oil sank in the Kerch Strait. A crew member of one of the tankers died as a result. In addition, an oil spill occurred, leading to catastrophic environmental consequences, according to the Caucasian Knot report "Fuel Oil Spill in the Kerch Strait".

Materials on the consequences of the fuel oil spill have been collected by the Caucasian Knot on the page "Eco-disaster in Kuban".