The UN Development Programme in Ukraine announced a significant event on its Facebook page.

The transfer of modern equipment took place within the framework of an initiative aimed at assessing environmental damage, funded by the Swedish government.

These new tools will enable specialists to conduct laboratory analyses of marine water pollution in the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, particularly to assess the aftermath of oil product spills following the incident with Russian tankers in the Kerch Strait at the end of 2024. Pollution detected along the Odesa coastline in January 2025 necessitated urgent monitoring.

The environmental inspection agency has ramped up its monitoring of marine waters and coastlines to determine the extent and impact of pollution. With the new supplies, analyses will become more accurate and frequent, facilitating rapid responses to environmental threats and the development of long-term recovery strategies.

The acting head of the State Environmental Inspection of Ukraine, Ihor Zubovych, emphasized the importance of international support in addressing the ecological damage caused by the war. He expressed gratitude to UNDP and the Swedish government for their assistance.

It is worth noting that fuel oil from the sunken Russian tankers reached the Odesa coastline on January 24, 2025. Eco-activist Vladislav Balynskyi believes that as summer approaches, fuel oil will begin to surface, allowing for a more comprehensive assessment of the ecological disaster in the Black Sea.