An oil spill near Tuapse town, Russia's Krasnodar Krai, has extended to a length of 77 kilometers.

The spill, which began following a fire at the Tuapse terminal, continues to spread and now stretches along 77 kilometers of the Black Sea coastline, said environmental activist Yevgeny Vitishko, a member of the Human Rights Council under the Governor of Krasnodar Krai, The Caspian Post reports, citing Kommersant newspaper.

He stated that, based on satellite imagery taken on April 26, the slick has already reached the area of Arkhipo-Osipovka.

Oil slicks have also been identified near Novomikhaylovskoye and Dzhubga, with contamination moving northwest along the coast. Just a week earlier, the affected area was estimated at around 50 kilometers, but it has since grown significantly. Evidence of oil contamination can be seen both offshore and on land, spanning from Gizel-Dere to the Orlyonok Children's Center.

On April 24, intense rainfall caused oil products to overflow containment booms in the Tuapse River, allowing pollutants to enter the sea. Vitishko expressed doubt that the consequences of the spill can be fully eliminated before the start of the summer season.

Data from the Kuban regional operational headquaters indicates that by the morning of April 27, around 4,200 cubic meters of polluted soil and water-oil mixture had been collected. Cleanup efforts are ongoing at the terminal site, near the river mouth, and along the coastline. In an effort to contain the spread, an additional 700 meters of booms have been installed near the central beach in Tuapse.

The incident was triggered by a Ukrainian drone attack on the terminal.