Efforts underway in Kyiv to contain oil spill into lake in Obolon caused by russian attack: what is known?

In Kyiv, more than 350 metric tons of petroleum products and emulsion spilled into Lake Kyrylivske after a gas station was hit during a massive russian attack on the night of July 2. Experts are implementing a two-stage plan for the emergency cleanup of the lake. 

It was reported by the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine.

“As a result of a massive attack by the Russian Federation on the night of July 2, a serious environmental disaster occurred in the Obolon district of the capital. A strike on a gas station caused a large-scale spill of petroleum products into Lake Kyrylivske, which is part of the Opechen Lake system," the statement reads.

So far, experts have managed to contain the spread of the bulk of the fuel at the approaches to the lake. However, according to preliminary estimates, more than 350 metric tons of petroleum products and emulsion have still entered the lake.

It is reported that a two-stage emergency cleanup plan is being implemented to eliminate the oil slick. Boom barriers have been deployed on the water surface and along the spill routes, which has made it possible to isolate the oil slick, stop its spread, and protect the uncontaminated part of the lake cascade.

Now, specialized equipment from the State Emergency Service is removing the main, heaviest layer of oil contamination—5–7 cm thick—using floating skimmer pumps. Afterward, the water surface will be treated with an oil-absorbing sorbent, which will bind the remaining thin oil film into dense clumps that will then be removed from the body of water. This will prevent contamination of the lake bottom and groundwater.

“We managed to contain the spill within the first few hours, but the environmental damage is extremely serious. The Ministry of Economy has already begun assessing the environmental damage,” said Deputy Minister of Economy Iryna Ovcharenko.

The State Environmental Inspectorate emphasized a strict ban on swimming, fishing, and any contact with the water in Lake Kyrylivske and Lake Yordanske until water quality parameters return to normal.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, during the massive shelling of the capital on the night of July 2, russian troops fired a record number of ballistic missiles.