An ecologist complained about the chaotic nature of the Tuapse beach cleanup.

The scale of beach pollution in Tuapse is significant, yet authorities are doing insufficient, despite planning a full resort season. Volunteers at only a few beaches receive government support; others lack cleaning services or equipment, the ecologist noted. Some volunteers said they are waiting for work permits.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," residents of the village of Gizel-Dere near Tuapse collected over 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 the collection of nearly 30,000 cubic meters of water-oil mixture in Tuapse.

Evgeny Vitishko, a member of the Human Rights Council under the Governor of Krasnodar Krai and an ecologist, believes that local government bodies are formally obligated to monitor compliance with law enforcement legislation, including the activities of volunteers.

"That's why they announced a ban on women of reproductive age from cleanup and other restrictions. On the other hand, some measures are being taken to support the volunteers' activities. The same tools for cleaning up oil products are partly funded by volunteers, and partly by the authorities. But the scale of pollution is disproportionate to the measures taken by the task force. "They're planning to do something there. It seems there's a rush to open the resort season quickly, but it could lead to greater reputational consequences than if they delayed the opening, because they'd have to clean up the entire resort season," Vitishko explained.

This also explains the decision to evacuate volunteers from the beach under the pretext of the danger of drone strikes, even though the cleanup work is not complete.

"They're creating conditions for the volunteers to leave, for example, because of the drone threat. And who's going to argue?" he said.

21:31 09.05.2026

Telegram users found the cleanup on beaches far from the center of Tuapse inadequate.

Pollution remains on the beaches in Shepsi, the Elektron sports camp settlement, and the village of Novomikhaylovsky. A number of places are short of volunteers, Telegram users noted.

He noted that in Olginka, Shepsi, Nebug, and other places, there is neither equipment nor volunteers. No.

"We understand that these aren't the same oil products found in the frontline zone. But they will still arrive sooner or later. And that will be during the holiday season. So people instinctively feel that this needs to be done, and they are doing it. That is, in hotels and coastal tenants, they're going out and cleaning up on their own. There's no overall leadership; the district head has distanced himself from all these processes; formally, the Operational Headquarters, under the governor's leadership, is in charge. Some beaches have been partially cleaned up, but it's uncontrolled; for example, some of the fuel oil was raked up. And if there's a storm now, it will go back out to sea." "In addition to shovels and sieves, we need to build booms," Vitishko said.

According to him, the main spill in Tuapse occurred during the second firefighting operation.

"A large quantity of oil products was burning, and most likely, this was a due to firefighting with water on the territory of the oil depot and oil refinery. Most of these products, which broke through the water barrier a second time, ended up on the shore. This was in the direction of Shepsi," Vitishko pointed out.

05:26 05.05.2026

Volunteers identify challenges in cleaning Tuapse beaches from oil products

Volunteers cleaning Tuapse beaches from oil products are particularly faced with the shortage of food and equipment, as well as a shortage of respirators and bags. The girls participating in the cleanup admitted that they are not allowed into particularly contaminated areas.

Volunteer Evgenia reported that they are not currently participating in the work in Tuapse.

"We're waiting for now. We're watching how events unfold, trying... There are no active operations. But we're being very careful about disseminating information, trying to understand whether it will help us or not. We're monitoring the development of the situation, trying to come up with what innovative technical ideas we can use in case of repeated emissions," she told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Volunteer Alan also reported that they are waiting for the green light to begin cleaning the coastline in the Tuapse District.

"Some of those who "He organized a headquarters, left for Novorossiysk, and is stationed there. We're waiting now," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.