Environmental teams have collected 160,000 tonnes of soil contaminated by a massive oil spill in Russia.

Emergency response workers from the Ministry of Emergency Situations continue their intense efforts to tackle the devastating oil spill along the Black Sea coast, focusing on the regions of Krasnodar, Crimea, and Sevastopol on January 13.

The cleanup operation involves more than 7,000 personnel and 781 equipment units, working to address the environmental disaster that has affected vast stretches of shoreline.

A total of 18 interagency monitoring groups have scoured 220 kilometres of the coastline in Krasnodar Krai, identifying scattered, minor oil product emissions.

In Crimea, 249 monitoring groups have covered 511 kilometres of coastline, removing over 430 tonnes of contaminated sand and soil.

Authorities reported significant progress in the cleanup, with 162,410 tonnes of contaminated soil and 38,829 tonnes of waste removed from the shorelines.

Alongside shoreline recovery, teams are working on the waters of the Kerch Strait, where more than 1,947 square kilometres have been inspected.

In addition, protective measures, including installing over 2,350 metres of containment barriers, have been put in place, especially around the tanker 'Volgoneft 239,' which is at the centre of the spill.