Anapa’s Fight for Compensation: A Town’s Struggle After a Devastating Oil Spill

The Russian coastal town of Anapa, a popular summer resort nestled on the Black Sea, is grappling with the aftermath of a massive oil spill that has left its pristine beaches contaminated and its economy reeling. In December 2023, two aging tankers, the Volgoneft 212 and Volgoneft 239, carrying 9,000 metric tons of low-grade fuel, breached during a severe storm near Anapa. Over half of their cargo—more than 4,500 metric tons of oil—spilled into the Kerch Strait, a waterway separating Russia from the occupied Crimean peninsula. The disaster has not only underscored the risks of relying on outdated vessels but also highlighted the broader concerns surrounding Russia’s "shadow fleet" of ships, which are increasingly used to transport oil and gas under the radar of international sanctions.

A $2.4 Million Lawsuit and the Cleanup Effort

Anapa’s mayor, Vasiliy Shvets, announced that the town is suing the owners and operators of the tankers, Volgatransneft and Kama Shipping, for 211 million rubles ($2.4 million) to cover the immediate cleanup costs. The spill has already forced the town