Ukraine’s largest seaport, Pivdennyi, has resumed traffic after operations were temporarily suspended due to a vegetable oil spill caused by recent Russian attacks on port infrastructure, authorities said.
The port, located northeast of Odesa, is now open to ship traffic, with operations in its waters continuing under heightened safety measures, according to the Ukrainian Sea Ports Administration.
The resumption comes after several days of emergency response efforts following a spill that was detected on Dec. 24 after heavy Russian strikes on port facilities.
Cleanup operations continue in two ports
The Ukrainian Sea Ports Administration said oil slicks were also detected in the waters of the nearby Chornomorsk port.
“All relevant services are involved in eliminating the consequences of the hostile shelling in both port areas – Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi,” the authority said in a statement. Specialized vessels, including oil-collection ships, remain at work in both locations.
Authorities said navigation has resumed only after safety conditions stabilized sufficiently to allow controlled maritime traffic.
Spill linked to Russian attacks
Odesa Regional Governor Oleh Kiper earlier said the spill occurred after Russian strikes damaged sunflower oil storage tanks at the port, allowing the oil to spread from port territory into the estuary and onward to the Black Sea during a series of recent attacks on Pivdennyi.
Kiper said a fire triggered by the strikes had been extinguished, but that continuous shelling during the first two days after the attack severely restricted response efforts. Cleanup teams were able to work only intermittently, during breaks in air-raid alerts, while gradually installing containment booms under strict safety conditions.
“All specialized services were immediately deployed once the pollution was detected,” Kiper said, adding that the port channel at Pivdennyi had been sealed with double layers of boom barriers to prevent further spread of the contamination.
Additional pumps and equipment were brought in, and parts of the coastline were cordoned off.
Vegetable oil spill monitored by environmental authorities
Officials said the leaked substance was vegetable oil, not petroleum.
“It is important to note that this concerns vegetable oil, which is an organic substance subject to natural biological decomposition,” the Sea Ports Administration said, adding that all possible measures are being taken to localize the spill and prevent further contamination, taking into account current security and weather conditions.
The State Environmental Inspectorate of the South-Western District and Ukraine’s Odesa Regional Center for Disease Control are monitoring water quality, while environmental inspectors are documenting environmental damage.
Environmental experts warn that the consequences may extend well beyond port operations.
Local conservationist Vladislav Balinsky said that a shift in wind direction had carried the oil slick into the Gulf of Odesa, contaminating nearshore waters and city beaches.
According to Balinskyy, dozens of seabirds – primarily small grebes – have already been found dead along the coastline. He warned that the Gulf of Odesa functions as a natural trap for surface pollution, allowing oil films to accumulate rather than disperse, potentially amplifying long-term ecological and economic damage.
He further confirmed that birds affected by the spill are transferred to the Odesa Zoo for rehabilitation.
Strategic port under repeated attack
Pivdennyi is Ukraine’s largest port by cargo capacity and a critical hub for agricultural exports. Russian strikes on port and industrial infrastructure in the Odesa region have repeatedly disrupted operations since the start of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion.
Kiper said Russian forces overnight again struck the port and industrial facilities, killing one person and injuring two others. Administrative, industrial and warehouse buildings were damaged, with fires breaking out at several sites before being extinguished by emergency crews. The body of the victim was recovered from the rubble, while the injured received medical treatment.
Despite the resumption of vessel traffic at Pivdennyi, authorities said cleanup, environmental monitoring and damage assessments are ongoing. Emergency services continue to work at affected sites as Ukraine documents what officials described as further war crimes linked to repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure.