Russia says oil spill 'critical' as Crimea declares emergency

Moscow: Russia warned on Saturday of severe environmental damage from a huge oil spill in the Black Sea caused when two tankers collided in a storm ne...

Moscow: Russia warned on Saturday of severe environmental damage from a huge oil spill in the Black Sea caused when two tankers collided in a storm near Crimea, which declared a state of emergency.

One tanker sank and another ran aground on December 15 in the Kerch Strait between Russia and the annexed Crimean peninsula.

Thousands of volunteers have been mobilised for clean-up operations that have been criticised as insufficent by some Russian scientists.

The tankers were carrying 9,200 tonnes of fuel oil, around 40 percent of which may have spilled into the sea, according to authorities.

"The situation is truly critical," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quoted by Russian press agencies.