INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Putin said during a televised cabinet meeting, his first of the year
15, when two aging tankers carrying 9,200 metric tons of heavy fuel oil were damaged by a storm in the Black Sea
declare an emergency.Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov reported that the tankers are still leaking oil daily
Petersburg and was ready for use.Putin expressed gratitude to volunteers who have been working to clean oil from beaches, urging officials
to match their dedication
economic and environmental effects
Most of the cleanup work, he added, must be completed by spring and summer when rising water temperatures are expected to push more of the
