Dozens of dolphins have died due to the flooding of tankers in the Kerch Strait.

More than 30 dolphins have died in the Kerch Strait. The cause is a fuel oil spill that occurred due to the sinking of Russian tankers.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing Delfacenter.

Yesterday, a state of emergency was declared in the occupied Sevastopol. According to the scientific-ecological Center for Dolphin Rescue "Delpha," 61 cetacean deaths have been recorded since the emergency was declared in the region.

"Of these, 32 individuals died after December 15, whose deaths are likely linked to the fuel oil spill. The others died before the emergency - they were very old bodies," the center noted.

Scientists stated that the majority of cetaceans perished in the first 10 days following the disaster.

"Judging by the condition of the bodies, it is likely that most of these cetaceans died in the first 10 days after the disaster. And they continue to be washed ashore by the sea. Mainly, the Azov dolphins, which have always been the most vulnerable cetaceans, were affected," the specialists added.

Tanker Accident in the Black Sea

Recall that on December 15, two Russian tankers "Volgoneft-212" and "Volgoneft-239" crashed in the Kerch Strait due to a severe storm.

Just a few days later, another tanker accident occurred near the port of "Caucasus" in the Black Sea. It became known that there was a fuel oil leak into the Black Sea and pollution of the Krasnodar region's coastline.

It is noted that the tanker accident in the Kerch Strait has caused significant environmental consequences. Furthermore, there is information that the fuel oil may reach the Azov Sea.

For more details on the accident involving Russian tankers near Crimea and whether there are threats to Ukraine, refer to RBK-Ukraine's article.

It should be noted that recently two new pollution sites with petroleum products were discovered in Crimea.