Russia-appointed officials in Moscow-occupied Crimea announced a regional emergency on Saturday, as oil was detected on the shores of Sevastopol, the peninsula’s largest city.
Fuel oil spilled out of two storm-stricken tankers nearly three weeks ago in the Kerch Strait, close to eastern Crimea — about 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Sevastopol, which lies on the southwest of the peninsula.
“Today a regional emergency regime has been declared in Sevastopol,” regional Gov. Mikhail Razvozhaev wrote on Telegram.
Oil was found on four beaches in the region and was “promptly eliminated” by local authorities working together with volunteers, Razvozhaev said.
“Let me emphasize: there is no mass pollution of the coastline in Sevastopol,” he wrote.
Razvozhaev’s announcement came after authorities in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region announced a region-wide emergency last week, as the fuel oil continued washing up on the coastline 10 days after one tanker ran aground and the other was left damaged and adrift on Dec. 15.
Krasnodar regional Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev said that almost 7,000 people were still working to clean up the spill on Saturday.
More than 96,000 tons of contaminated sand and soil have been removed along the region’s shoreline since the original spill, he wrote on Telegram.
On Dec. 23, the ministry estimated that up to 200,000 tons in total may have been contaminated with mazut, a heavy, low-quality oil product.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the oil spill an “ecological disaster.”
The Kerch Strait, which separates the Russia-occupied Crimean Peninsula from the Krasnodar region, is an important global shipping route, providing passage from the inland Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.
It has also been a key point of conflict between Russia and Ukraine after Moscow annexed the peninsula in 2014. In 2016, Ukraine took Moscow to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, where it accused Russia of trying to seize control of the area illegally. In 2021, Russia closed the strait for several months.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, described the oil spill last month as a “large-scale environmental disaster” and called for additional sanctions on Russian tankers.
In this photo taken from video released by Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, rescuers work to clean up tons of fuel oil that spilled out of two storm-stricken tankers more than two weeks ago in the Kerch Strait, in Russia's southern Krasnodar region. (Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this photo taken from video released by Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, rescuers work to clean up tons of fuel oil that spilled out of two storm-stricken tankers more than two weeks ago in the Kerch Strait, in Russia's southern Krasnodar region. (Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this photo taken from video released by Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, rescuers and volunteers work to clean up tons of fuel oil that spilled out of two storm-stricken tankers more than two weeks ago in the Kerch Strait, in Russia's southern Krasnodar region. (Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service via AP)
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Teddy Stiga scored on a breakaway at 8:04 of 3-on-3 overtime to give the United States a 4-3 victory over Finland on Sunday night in the world junior hockey championship game.
The Boston College winger collected a forward pass from Denver's Zeev Buium and beat goalie Petteri Rimpinen through the leg pads to end it.
“I’m so happy for the kid,” said U.S. captain Ryan Leonard, Stiga's teammate at BC. “He was scratched at the start and fought his way into the lineup. He’s a hell of a player. You see why he’s in the lineup at the end.”
The Americans avenged a 4-3 overtime loss to Finland in group play, overcoming a two-goal deficit in the second period to win their second straight title and seventh overall.
“They had a better start,” said Leonard, who had two assists. “There’s no excuse there, but you saw the way we played in the last ten minutes the second. The ice was tilted and they didn’t really have the puck, and we tied it up. In the third, the puck didn’t go in but all the chances were there. We knew if we stuck to our game, good things would happen.”
Boston University teammates Brandon Svoboda and Cole Hutson scored late in the second period to tie it. Svoboda cut it to 3-2 with 2:22 left on a deflected shot, and Hutson fired a wrist shot from the slot past Rimpinen with 29 seconds remaining.
Michigan State’s Trey Augustine made 21 saves.
“They played really well, but we stuck with it,” Augustine said. “We were down 3-1, which isn’t ideal, but we capitalized in overtime. It’s unbelievable. There’s no better feeling. They took it to us in the first period, but the last 40 and overtime, we handled the play.”
Tuomas Uronen gave Finland a 2-1 lead with 6:57 left in the first period, 59 seconds after Boston College’s James Hagens tied it for the United States. Emil Pieniniemi made it 3-1 at 4:52 of the second.
Jesse Kiiskinen opened the scoring at 7:13.
In the third-place game, Eduard Sale scored in the 14th round of a shootout to give Czechia a 3-2 victory over Sweden on Sunday in the third-place game at the world junior hockey championship. The Czech captain beat Marcus Gidlof on his fifth attempt — and 28th between the teams — with a move to the backhand.
The 2026 tournament will be in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Finland defenseman Mitja Jokinen (2) takes down United States forward Trevor Connelly (19) in front of Finland goaltender Petteri Rimpinen, top, during first-period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
Finland goaltender Petteri Rimpinen (30) makes a save against United States forward James Hagens (12) during third-period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
Finland goaltender Petteri Rimpinen (30) makes a save against United States forward Ryan Leonard (9) during third-period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
Finland players react following their overtime loss in the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game against the United States in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
Finland defenseman Aron Kiviharju (33) consoles Finland goaltender Petteri Rimpinen (30) following their overtime loss to the United States in the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
Finland players react following their overtime loss in the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game against the United States in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
Finland goaltender Petteri Rimpinen, right, makes a save against United States forward Ryan Leonard during third-period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
United States players celebrate after their overtime win over Finland in IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
USA forward Teddy Stiga (2) celebrates scoring the game-winning goal on Finland goaltender Petteri Rimpinen (30) to end overtime IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
Czechia forward Eduard Sale (12) celebrates his game-winning goal with teammate Czechia forward Jakub Stancl (21) as they win the World Junior hockey championship bronze medal penalty shot shootout against Sweden, in Ottawa, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
Czechia players touch the trophy after they defeated Sweden to take the World Junior Hockey Championship bronze medal in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
Czechia forward Eduard Sale (12) scores the game-winning goal against Sweden goaltender Marcus Gidlof (1) to win the World Junior hockey championship bronze medal penalty shot shootout, in Ottawa, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
United States forward James Hagens (12) gets high-fives from the bench after scoring against Finland during first-period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
Finland defenseman Emil Pieniniemi (10) fires the puck over United States goaltender Trey Augustine (1) during first-period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
United States defenseman Cole Hutson (24) celebrates after his goal as he skates past Finland forward Jesse Kiiskinen (38) during second-period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
Finland forwards Topias Hynninen (21) and Benjamin Rautiainen (37) fight United States defenseman Aram Minnetian (14) and forward Brandon Svoboda (8) for the puck during second-period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
Finland goaltender Petteri Rimpinen (30) looks on as teammate Emil Hemming (32) controls the puck away from United States forward Ryan Leonard (9) during third-period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
Finland defenseman Aron Kiviharju (33) blocks a shot against teammate Petteri Rimpinen (30) as United States forward Brandon Svoboda (8) and Max Plante (22) rush the net during third -period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
