More than 1 thsd birds killed in the Odesa Bay due to edible oil spill after Russian attacks

According to environmental experts, more than 1,000 birds died in the Odesa Bay as a result of an edible oil spill caused by Russian attacks in late December 2025. This was reported by Ivan Rusev, an environmentalist and staff member of the Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park.

“Based on our estimates, more than 1,000 birds of various species, mainly grebes, have died in the Odesa Bay. About 400 of them were rescued or attempted to be rescued through the Odesa Zoo and by private individuals,” he wrote on Facebook.

Rusev noted that the survival rate of such birds is extremely low, averaging only 15–20%. He explained that oil sticks to birds’ feathers and destroys their natural protective layer. As a result, birds are unable to take off from the water, quickly become soaked, and eventually die from hypothermia. While trying to clean their feathers, birds ingest oil, leading to accumulation and intoxication, which damages the liver and suppresses the immune system.

Rusev also reported that oil slicks covering a total area of up to 5,000 square meters, along with dead birds, were found at the 28th kilometer of the sandy spit within the Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park.

“The distance between the pollution sites and the accident location is about 150 kilometers. This indicates a broader scale and nature of the contamination,” the scientist added.

Tags: Ukraine, sunflower oil, war