Emergency declared in Crimea as oil spill reaches Sevastopol

Tonnes of fuel oil spilled out of two storm-stricken tankers more than two weeks ago in the Kerch Strait, in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region (Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service via AP)

Officials in Moscow-occupied Crimea have announced a regional emergency after oil was detected on the shores of Sevastopol, the peninsula’s largest city.

Fuel oil spilled out of two storm-stricken tankers nearly three weeks ago in the Kerch Strait, close to eastern Crimea – some 155 miles from Sevastopol, which lies on the south-west of the peninsula.