Due to the incident in the Kerch Strait, samples for oil products, heavy metals, and pesticides are taken at three sampling sites

There is no direct risk for Bulgarian waters in the Black Sea according to the results of all observations currently being conducted. This was stated by the Minister of Environment and Water Petar Dimitrov, who today attended the sampling of sea water near Durankulak.

"The pollution is heading towards the Eastern direction of the Kerch Bay and North towards the Kerch Strait, there is a high probability of serious environmental pollution of the Azov Sea. Despite the scarce information we had and the impossibility for satellite monitoring at the time of the incident, observations now show that there is no threat to the Bulgarian coast," said Petar Dimitrov. He reminded that as soon as the information about the tanker disaster in the Kerch Strait was received, the Ministry of Environment and Water commissioned Bulgarian and European science to model and monitor the probable pollution of Bulgarian waters - this is the expertise of universities, institutes at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Center for Integrated Management and Monitoring of the Coastal Zone of the Naval Academy "N. Y. Vaptsarov" and the "Herion" Center - Germany.

The minister assured that the monitoring he had commissioned in relation to the military actions in the Black Sea region was continuing and added: "Monitoring is constant and regular, but we have now commissioned a new one in connection with the incident in the Kerch Strait. We will monitor this pollution with models and satellite images and will take samples regularly."

Today, experts from the Black Sea Region Basin Directorate - Varna and the Regional Laboratory - Varna at the Executive Environmental Agency carried out an inspection and sampling of sea waters in order to monitor the current situation after the oil spill in the Kerch Strait. The Director of the Black Sea Region Directorate Yavor Dimitrov and Captain 1st Rank Prof. Miroslav Tsvetkov, Head of the Scientific Sector at the Higher Naval School "Nikola Yonkov Vaptsarov" in Varna also participated in the sampling.

"Following the incident in the Kerch Strait, we will carry out extraordinary monitoring of the same indicators and at the same sampling sites where we monitor sea waters regularly. Monitoring currently does not show any excess of the norms for this season," explained Yavor Dimitrov. The indicators include petroleum products, heavy metals, and pesticides, as well as dissolved oxygen, PH, salinity, and water temperature. Sampling is being carried out in the Durankulak area - near the fishing port and camping "Kosmos", as well as in the Shabla and Kaliakra areas. Prof. Dr. Miroslav Tsvetkov announced that according to the latest data from the satellite, which flew over the area of the incident last night, an oil spill is observed on the sea surface, but the currents are moving it in such a way that there is no danger for Bulgaria. "The spill is not heading towards our exclusive economic zone and this will most likely remain so either until it sinks or until measures are taken to contain and collect it. The very first models of the "Copernicus" program showed that the oil spill will head in a direction favorable for us," emphasized Prof. Tsvetkov.