The possible pollution of the Baltic Sea with petrochemicals that spilled as a result of an accident at a Polish pipeline has been prevented, the Kaliningrad office of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday according to Interfax.
"The Chief Commandant of Poland's State Fire Service sent a letter to the regional office of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry assuring us that the spill was stopped. Rescue and environmental services are monitoring the Vistula river. No trans-border emergency situation is expected as there is no threat that the spill of petrochemicals will reach the Vistula Lagoon," the statement says.
The Polish side also thanked rescue and environmental services of the Kaliningrad region for their readiness to give assistance if necessary. The Russian side has put the relevant services on alert, the statement says.
According to Polish information, some 40 cubic meters of petrochemicals spilled into the Vistula river at about 2.45 p.m. Moscow time on December 10 as a result of an accident on the Polish portion of the Druzhba pipeline. A slick formed on the surface of the river.