Greenpeace warns of oil spill threat following Aframax Rio tanker fire, saying Russian authorities lie about pollution

Greenpeace has issued a warning about a potential oil spill following the fire on the Aframax Rio tanker in the Black Sea off the coast of Sochi on October 6. The environmental organization believes the fire was likely caused by burning bunker fuel rather than the oil the tanker was transporting. Despite this, an oil slick of approximately 25 square kilometers has already formed in the area, indicating a threat of further oil pollution.

Greenpeace's analysis of satellite images from October 7 and 8 shows that if the ship had been carrying 100,000 metric tons of crude oil, the fire would have lasted several days. The tanker's cargo, which consists of 10-15 isolated compartments, did not show signs of explosions when ignited, suggesting that the transported oil did not catch fire.

However, Greenpeace stresses that there has been no official confirmation that the tanker is carrying oil, but if it is, the threat of a major spill remains until the entire contents are pumped out. The organization also notes that censorship in Russia hinders accurate assessment of the pollution in the Black Sea, pointing out that even if bunker fuel had caught fire, it would still constitute a serious environmental incident with potential long-term impacts on marine life and the ecosystem.