A glob summer How a massive oil spill in the Black Sea derailed southern Russia’s tourism industry

A glob summer How a massive oil spill in the Black Sea derailed southern Russia’s tourism industry

In December 2024, thousands of tons of mazut — a heavy, low-grade oil product that’s mainly used in power plants — leaked from wrecked tankers and washed up on the coast of Anapa, a popular tourist destination near the Sea of Azov. The spill created immediate financial problems for the city’s hotel owners and neighboring resort towns. Tourists who paid in advance for summer vacations demanded refunds, and new bookings ceased altogether. All wint…