Ukraine resumes environmental monitoring of the Black Sea
What is the problem?
According to specialists, Russia's full-scale invasion previously limited the ability to monitor the Black Sea's environmental condition. At the same time, wartime conditions have increased environmental risks, making up-to-date data on the state of the sea particularly important.
What is the solution?
Researchers say systematic monitoring of the marine ecosystem has resumed thanks to cooperation between the National Antarctic Scientific Center and the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority. Under the agreement, the two parties will organize regular collection and analysis of seawater samples.
"Recently, our center became responsible not only for Antarctica, but also for the Black Sea — its research and monitoring," the statement said.
How does it work?
The responsibilities will be divided between the partners as follows:
In particular, scientists will examine the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the water.
"Our cooperation will make it possible, for the first time since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, to conduct regular environmental monitoring along the Black Sea coast from the Dnipro-Buh Estuary to the Danube Delta," the specialists explained.
Scientists and representatives of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority must now determine:
The National Antarctic Scientific Center has promised to announce the first monitoring results separately.
What is known about pollution in the Black Sea during Russia's full-scale war?
In December 2024, two Russian tankers, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, were damaged in bad weather in the Black Sea near the Kerch Strait. A severe storm caused the accident.
According to Russian sources, the Volgoneft-212 broke in half under the force of the waves, causing the fuel oil it was carrying to spill into the sea. About an hour later, the storm damaged the Volgoneft-239, which also began to sink. Following the accident involving the two Russian tankers, Greenpeace warned of an environmental disaster.
As Rubryka reported, more than 400 birds have been affected by the fuel oil spill from the sunken Russian tankers in occupied Crimea. The birds were taken to the Taigan Lion Park and Skazka Zoo in Yalta.
It is also worth noting that since the beginning of 2026, at least 40 sailors have died in the Black Sea, while the number of attacks on vessels has exceeded 570. Rising security risks have made this maritime route more dangerous for merchant shipping than the Persian Gulf. Shipping companies are reducing the number of voyages, while war-risk insurance is becoming increasingly expensive.
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- October, 30
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31 of October 2026
