Ecological catastrophe in the Russian resort of Tuapse — the oil refinery fire cannot be extinguished, oil rains are falling

In Soviet times, the city of Tuapse in the Krasnodar Krai developed primarily as a port and oil hub, with its resort function emerging later. The location of industrial infrastructure was determined by convenience, not by environmental or recreational factors. As a result, hazardous productions were not moved outside the city but ended up within residential areas. Near the beaches are a railway, a port, and an oil depot. The Tuapse oil refinery is located directly in the coastal part of the city – in close proximity to the port and railway lines.

Over the past week, Ukrainian Armed Forces drones attacked Tuapse twice. The first attack occurred on the night of April 16. Strikes targeted the refinery, which belongs to Rosneft and processes up to 12 million tons of oil per year — about 4% of the nationwide volume.

As a result of the first attack, significant volumes of oil spilled into the sea, leading to the formation of a slick approximately one and a half football fields in size. According to media reports, smoke from the fire spread for hundreds of kilometers. Firefighting efforts continued for almost four days, and only on April 19 was the fire brought under control.

However, on the night of April 20, a repeated attack occurred — targeting the refinery and the city port. The strikes hit the tank farm, resulting in a new large-scale fire.

The length of the oil slick reached about 7 kilometers, comparable to the territory of several city districts. The slick was recorded in satellite images by the authors of the Telegram project "Transparent World," which conducts environmental monitoring. According to their estimates, the pollution is not moving into the open sea but, on the contrary, is drifting towards the coast, creating additional risks for the flora and fauna of the Black Sea region.

The regional operational headquarters acknowledged contamination of the port's water area covering about 10 thousand square meters, which is significantly less than the estimates of independent environmentalists. High-speed boats, oil skimmers, and boom barriers — special floating barriers designed to contain spills — are being used to mitigate the consequences. Cleanup is also being carried out in the Tuapse River, where oil entered on April 16.

Due to the prolonged fire, classes in schools and kindergartens in the city have been temporarily suspended. Residents report "oil rain" — oily drops and a dark residue that appeared after the fire. This effect is explained by the fact that during the combustion of petroleum products, vapors of light fractions enter the atmosphere, which then condense and return to the surface. Along with them, toxic substances, dangerous upon inhalation and skin contact, enter the environment.

Carcinogenic compounds, including benzene, which can cause severe diseases, including leukemia, pose a particular threat. Recommendations are circulating on social media to limit time outdoors, use personal protective equipment — respirators, glasses, closed clothing — and also closely monitor children and wash pets after being outside.

On April 22, ecologist Zhora Kovanasyan published video and photo materials received from residents of the Krivenkovskoye settlement, located approximately 25 kilometers from Tuapse. The footage shows oil streaks and stains on road surfaces after precipitation.

Birds covered in oil are already being found on the coast. Volunteers are trying to rescue them and transfer them to specialized centers for cleaning. According to environmentalists' estimates, the damage to the ecosystem could be significant: fish, mollusk, and marine mammal populations, including dolphins, are at risk. The region may become unsuitable for fishing for a prolonged period.

Experts note that the critical time for effective spill cleanup has already been lost: if the contamination is not isolated in the first few hours, the oil gradually sinks to the bottom and then returns to the shore under the influence of waves and storms.

According to forecasts, the consequences will be long-term. New storms could repeatedly wash petroleum products onto the beaches, and toxic fumes will negatively affect the health of the population, especially children.

A similar situation was previously observed in Anapa after tanker wrecks: even after a year and a half, the beaches remain polluted.

As a result, Tuapse could become an area of increased environmental risk for years. The exact scale of the catastrophe still requires assessment, but it is already clear that the consequences will affect the entire marine and coastal ecosystem.

Military analyst Jan Matveev noted in the Telegram channel "Maps and Arrows" that after the second attack, it became clear: air defense systems are not capable of reliably protecting this facility. He does not rule out that the strikes could be repeated, which would disable Russia's only oil refinery with access to the Black Sea for a long time.

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