Oil Pollution and Drone Debris Wash Up on Estonian Beach
Oil and garbage have washed ashore on Estonia’s northern coast in recent days, likely from Russian “shadow fleet” vessels anchored in the Gulf of Finland following Ukraine’s attacks on Russia’s ports. Drone debris has also been removed from the area.
Local residents have found drone fragments on the Suureliiva beach, near the village of Vainupea in Lääne-Viru County, around 100 kilometers east of Tallinn. Following the fears over the drone debris and potential explosive hazards, locals called around four different numbers, with one suggestion being to contact the state Environmental Board (Keskkonnaamet), before rescuers arrived and took the debris to bomb disposal experts.
Cleanup Efforts Underway
Volunteers are working on the same beach to clean up the oil pollution. Vainupea village elder Sigrid Nuutre said she first encountered the fuel oil after returning from the beach with her children a week ago. “Last Friday I went to the beach with my children; we were barefoot because the weather was already pleasantly warm. When we got home, I found a piece about four centimeters in size stuck under my foot,” Nuutre said.
“I found oil. There has been an oil spill here. I actually came to monitor the situation, because tomorrow there will be a larger volunteer cleanup effort taking place here,” said volunteer Mattias Veermets. “Tomorrow morning at 9:45 a.m. we will gather right here in the Vainupea Suureliiva parking area, as part of the cleanup effort. We will start removing the fuel oil that has accumulated on the beach,” Nuutre added.
Connection to Ukrainian Drone Strikes
The oil pollution and drone debris are thought to be connected to Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil facilities at the eastern end of the Gulf of Finland late last month. This included fragments which washed up on Kalvi beach, around 40 kilometers east of Suureliiva. The Ukrainian strikes caused ports such as Ust-Luga to go offline, leading to a backlog of shadow fleet tankers at anchor in the vicinity of Vaindloo, awaiting clearance to head into port. At its peak, the number of moored freighters numbered at around 40, while the figure has more than halved since then.
Environmental Concerns
The “shadow fleet” vessels Russia uses to evade oil sanctions are often in poor condition. The environmental hazards posed by these vessels and their potential for further pollution have raised concerns among local residents and authorities.
Original Article: Drone fragments, Russian ‘shadow fleet’ oil pollution wash up on Estonian beach | News | ERR — Err