to act on warnings alone, and the public can’t be moved to outrage,

passion or action by an impending disaster or crime. Last week we had a

case in point where it’s the images of thick, viscous oil washing up on

the Black Sea coast.

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SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER

A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of

Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to

Ukraine's frontline towns.

https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras

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Stricken oil tankers show the risks of Russia's ageing 'shadow fleet',

which it uses to bypass sanctions. Although the vessel that split apart

was covered by Russian insurer VSK, it’s doubtful whether the costs of

the cleanup operations will be covered. The full scale of the various

incidents, as well as their long-term impact on the environment are so

far unknown.

One crew member was killed after the Volgoneft 212 split in half, with

12 rescued, while authorities said all 14 crew aboard the Volgoneft 239,

which ran aground 80 metres from the shore near the port of Taman, were

also rescued. Russian authorities sought to limit the damage from oil

spilled into the Kerch Strait by two ageing tankers that were damaged

during a heavy weekend storm – though part of the campaign was

informational, seeking to deny the seriousness, and not only focused on

the physical clean-up.

The ships are on average more than 50-year-old, and were carrying some

9,200 metric tons (62,000 barrels) of oil products in total. Volgoneft

212 was constructed in 1969 and Volgoneft 239 in 1973. The spill is

likely to become one of the largest environmental disasters to affect

the region in recent years. The Kerch Strait, which separates mainland

Russia from the Moscow-annexed Crimea region, is a key route for exports

of its grain and fuel products.

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NEWS SOURCES:

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/3939182-estonian-pm-names-two-options-facing-russian-shadow-fleet-vessels-caught-without-insurance.html

https://www.ft.com/content/8a485a6b-477e-4087-83f4-eca357082d71

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-tankers-damaged-kerch-strait-were-carrying-62000-barrels-oil-products-2024-12-16/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/16/ukraine-calls-for-sanctions-against-russia-oil-tankers-over-black-sea-spill

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/12/16/russian-tankers-caught-in-storm-may-have-leaked-3k-tons-of-oil-products-state-media-a87359

https://kyivindependent.com/sinking-of-two-russian-oil-tankers-may-cause-significant-environmental-impacts-greenpeace-warns/

https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-shadow-dark-oil-tankers-sanctions-navy-warships-escort-2024-12

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TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:

Save Ukraine

https://www.saveukraineua.org/

Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas

https://superhumans.com/en/

UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in

Ukraine

https://unbroken.org.ua/

Come Back Alive

https://savelife.in.ua/en/

Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen

https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine

UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy

https://u24.gov.ua/

Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation

https://prytulafoundation.org

NGO “Herojam Slava”

https://heroiamslava.org/

kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and

Przemysl

https://kharpp.com/

NOR DOG Animal Rescue

https://www.nor-dog.org/home/

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