Russia declared a regional state of emergency on Saturday in Crimea, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014, as workers cleared tons of contaminated sand and earth on either side of the Kerch Strait following an oil spill in the Black Sea last month.

An oil spill crisis has led to a regional state of emergency in Crimea. The situation arose from leaked oil from ageing tankers following a storm, affecting coastal areas and wildlife. Over 86,000 tons of contaminated sand and soil have been cleared,

Oil from two ageing and damaged Russian tankers was detected Friday off the coast of Sevastopol, the largest city in Moscow-annexed Crimea, a local official said.