Russia is testing the patience of its allies after the disastrous sinking of a Russian ship, resulting in the loss of the lives of its entire crew and a catastrophic oil spill, with consequences beyond Russian naval territory. Several UNSC delegations have made offers to provide assistance in the oil clean-up, all of which were promptly rejected by the Russian delegation. Cited as reason for this was the incident’s location on Russian territory. Sources say the country may avoid dealing with the spillage properly in order to avoid sharing information about it in a transparent manner. Delegations have offered to assist in clean-up efforts on the grounds of the effects of the spillage spreading beyond Russian territory and affecting regional environmental conditions. The extent of the damage caused by the accident are as of yet unknown, with Russia refusing to yield to demands for a transparent investigation.
- Elena Grozdanovska