The November 11 storm in the Kerch Strait sank four ships and split an oil tanker in two. The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry raised its estimate of the fuel oil spillage, from yesterday's figure of 1,300 metric tons. About 6,800 tons of sulfur also spilled into the sea.
Marines discovered on Tuesday the bodies of three sailors who were on ships that sank Sunday, bringing the death toll to six, the Russian Navy said.
Captain First Rank Igor Dygalo, an aide to the Russian Navy commander, said the sailors' bodies probably belonged to sunken oil tanker Volgoneft-139.
The Russian fisheries committee estimates that some 9,000 fish have been killed by the pollution in the strait.
A committee spokesman said the real extent of the environmental damage can not be accurately assessed until 10 days after the storm dies down.
The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said further ship disasters could be caused by heavy winds on the Black Sea.
"Emergency situations that could damage vessels at sea, anchored near or at ports or docking facilities, are likely to occur," the ministry's southern regional center said in a news release.
A ministry official said specialists dealing with the consequences of Sunday's accident will install a dam later Tuesday, as soon as the weather allows in an attempt to prevent the oil slick from seeping into the Sea of Azov.
A local administration representative said mass bird deaths have been registered on the coastline in the Krasnodar Territory. "According to latest reports, 30,000 birds died on the coast, and the same number is stained with fuel oil, so they are also likely to die," he said.
Environmental experts have said the Kerch Strait incident could cause damage to rare fish stocks.
The press secretary of Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych said the premier has flown to meet with his Russian counterpart, Viktor Zubkov, at the site of the ship wreck.
