Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin intends to fly to the Krasnodar territory to find out the causes of sea accidents and assist in eliminating the consequences of the Kerch Strait storm, Itar-Tass reports.
"The transport minister’s working trip to the Krasnodar Territory will begin today," Levitin's aide Svetlana Kryshtanovskya told reporters, "Igor Levitin will fly there in the evening."
He is planning to meet with Krasnodar Territory governor Alexander Tkachyov.
"On Friday, the minister will chair a session of the interdepartmental commission on eliminating the consequences of the emergency situations which occurred in the Kerch Strait on November 111, and on finding out causes of sea accidents," Kryshtanovskaya said.
"The commission was set up at the instruction by Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov. It includes representatives of Rosmorrechflot, Rostransnadzor, the Transport Ministry, Rosprirodnadzor, the emergency Situations Ministry, Rosgidromet, prosecutors, the Navy and the Kransnodar Territory administration," the aide said.
Also on Friday, Levitin will meet with Ukraine's Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolai Rudkovsky. "He will take part in a session of the Russian-Ukrainian working group which will consider the coordination of joint efforts to eliminate the consequences of the storm," Kryshtanovskaya said.
Deputy Transport Minister Boris Korol heads the Russian part of the working group, and Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Vladimir Korniyenko heads Ukraine's.
The clean-up operation the storm-hit Kerch Strait is continuing.
About 3,500 tonnes of petrol products have been collected on the cost of the Kerch Strait by Wednesday evening. A total of 873.5 tonnes have been collected up to date, including 420 tonnes on the Chushka Spit, 290 tonnes on the Tuzla Spit, and 160 tonnes were collected on November 12. This is about one-fourth of the amount spilt into the sea.
Rescuers have pumped 50 tonnes of petrol products from the stern of the Volganeft-139 tanker that was broken into two by the storm on Sunday.
Mechanical cleanup precedes the use of absorbing agents, to purify bottom layers.
About 1,000 students from Krasnodar Territory colleges were to join the efforts to clean the coastline.
A commission to investigate the cause of the incident in the Kerch Strait has been set up.
Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov said a damage assessment report would be available within a week.
On Tuesday, Zubkov and his Ukrainian colleague Viktor Yanukovich agreed to set up a working group for dealing with the aftermath of the disaster in the area.
Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu expressed hope that all work would be completed in 7-10 days.
Last Sunday, the gale wind raging in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov at a speed of up to 32 meters per second scattered dozens of vessels in the Kerch Strait. The storm damaged 12 vessels, four of which sank, and six ran aground. About 3,000 tonnes of fuel oil leaked into the sea.