Sochi authorities reported on their search for oil spills on the coast.
Dozens of specialists inspect the Sochi seashore daily, but authorities have reported no oil spills.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," Sochi residents reported on May 17 that they had not seen the oil spills in the water or on the beaches that had been reported a week earlier. However, environmentalists noted that the oil film on the water can be so thin that it is invisible.
On May 10, a video was published in which the author claimed to have found oil spills on rocks for approximately 200 meters on May 8 at a beach near the village of Katkova Shchel in the Lazarevsky District of Sochi. Ecologist Igor Shkradyuk suggested that these are the consequences of oil pollution in the Black Sea.
According to the Sochi administration, no pollution was detected during monitoring of the coastline and seawater, Sochi1.ru reported today.
Daily monitoring of the environmental condition of beaches continues in the city, the administration explained on its Telegram channel.
"The situation is monitored daily by 30 specialists. The shore is inspected by employees of district administrations, the Department of Resorts and Tourism, as well as beach area tenants. Patrol vessels of the State Inspectorate for Small Vessels of the Ministry of Emergency Situations monitor the waters," the statement reads.
The publication is illustrated with photographs of the Katkova Shchel beach in the Lazarevsky district, dated May 17, 2026.
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As a reminder, four fires broke out at the Tuapse oil refinery and marine terminal between April 16 and May 1 following drone attacks. Furthermore, on April 24, after booms were breached due to rising river water levels, an oil spill occurred into the Black Sea. The environmental consequences of the attacks on Tuapse's oil infrastructure can be found in the "Caucasian Knot" report "Fires and "Oil Rain": Key Information on the Ecological Disaster in Tuapse".
Patches of the coastline in the Tuapse region contaminated with oil products are being cleaned unevenly: active work is being carried out near urban infrastructure, but remote and "wild" beaches are being neglected, local residents and volunteers said.
A regional emergency regime is in effect throughout the Tuapse District For information on emergency assessment criteria, response levels, structures, and resources for dealing with the consequences, please see the Caucasian Knot's "Emergency Situation (ES) Regime" document.
Caucasian Knot has compiled materials on the "Eco-Disaster in Kuban" page.