A competition to conduct seawater sampling in Tuapse has been announced amid oil spills in the sea.

Oil slicks remain in the sea near Tuapse, according to a satellite image. Social media users reported today that oil products had washed up on a beach near the seaport, and authorities announced a competition to analyze seawater samples at 13 beaches throughout the summer.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," residents of the village of Gizel-Dere near Tuapse collected more than 200 bags of oil-contaminated pebbles. They asked for volunteer help to completely clean the coastal area. Volunteers continue to clean beaches in Tyumensky, Gizel-Dere, and other settlements in the Tuapse District affected by the oil spill. Appeals have been posted on social media for food and supplies and assistance with the work. The task force reported collecting nearly 30,000 cubic meters of water-oil mixture in Tuapse. The scale of the pollution is significant, and authorities are not taking sufficient action, despite planning a full resort season. Some beaches lack cleaning services or equipment, the ecologist noted.

A tender has been announced for a seawater study on the beaches of the Tuapse District

Almost a million rubles will be spent on collecting and studying seawater samples at 13 beaches in Tuapse. Samples will be collected throughout the beach season, from June to the end of September. They plan to test for various indicators, including petroleum products, phenols, anionic surfactants, beryllium, formaldehyde, and others, ecologist Zhora Kavanosyan reported today.

21:31 May 9, 2026
Telegram users found the cleanup efforts on beaches far from the center of Tuapse inadequate.
Pollution remains on the beaches of Shepsi, the Elektron sports camp, and the village of Novomikhaylovsky. A shortage of volunteers is reported in several areas, according to Telegram users.

According to information on the government procurement website, the contract for "Provision of services for conducting laboratory testing of seawater quality in areas of the Black Sea as part of industrial control" was placed by the administration of the Tuapse Municipal District on May 13. The starting price of the contract is 953,000 rubles.

As follows from the procurement description, water testing is planned in the bathing area—at distances of 5 and 10-15 meters from the shore. The document specifies the areas where research is required, including the villages of Dzhubga, Agoy, Olginka, Shepsi, Novomikhaylovsky, Lermontovo, and Tuapse itself.

Oil slicks remain in the sea near Tuapse

On the satellite image of the Planet company from May 14, 2026 (12:03 Moscow time), oil spills continue to be recorded in the Black Sea near Tuapse Traces of oil products. The image clearly shows thin, thread-like slicks along the coast—films of oil products on the sea surface. A large slick area is also visible in the central part of the image. Experts note that this is a calm wind zone, but films of oil products are also detected along its edges, according to an analysis of the situation conducted by the Telegram channel SkyEye.

Users of the Telegram channel "My Tuapse" reported a discharge of oil products resembling fuel oil.

"Primorye Beach, May 17, 2026. It was great until the fuel oil arrived…," the report states. A photo is attached, showing a section of the coast covered in black sludge.

Primorsky Beach is located near the Tuapse seaport, on the other side of the western pier, according to information on the Yandex.Maps website.

This post has garnered 4 comments.

"We'll have to look for a beach free of fuel oil this summer. Locals, knowing the coastline, will find a quiet backwater, but it'll be more difficult for visitors," commented Lider.

"This also has its advantages - prices have fallen, and if you know where to go, that's a plus for visitors," says Alexey.

A series of attacks on Tuapse's oil infrastructure has led to environmental consequences, according to a report from the "Caucasian Knot" website. href="https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/422840">Fires and "oil rain": the main news about the environmental disaster in Tuapse.

A regional emergency regime is in effect throughout the Tuapse District. You can read about emergency assessment criteria, response levels, structures, and resources for eliminating the consequences in the Caucasian Knot's document "Emergency Situation Regime (ES)".

Materials on the consequences of the fuel oil spill have been collected by the Caucasian Knot on the page "Eco-disaster in Kuban".

We've updated our apps for Android and IOS! We welcome your feedback and development ideas both on Google Play/App Store and on KU's social media pages. Without installing a VPN, you can read us on Telegram (in Dagestan, Chechnya, and Ingushetia, with a VPN). Using a VPN, you can continue reading "Caucasian Knot" on the website as usual, and on social networks: Facebook*, Instagram*, "VKontakte", "Odnoklassniki" and X. You can watch the "Caucasian Knot" video on YouTube. Send messages to +49 157 72317856 on WhatsApp*, to the same number on Telegram, or write to @Caucasian_Knot.

* Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is banned in Russia.

Source: https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/423322