Environment service: oil residue washed up on Latvian coast likely leaked from a ship

Latvia's State Environmental Service (VVD) has reported that oil products washed ashore along the Kurzeme coastline were possibly leaked from a ship.

According to the agency, laboratory analyses have ruled out the possibility that the pollution originated from a historical, long-standing contamination source. This suggests the oil products entered the environment relatively recently, most likely as the result of a leak from a vessel.

The VVD is continuing to assess the situation in order to determine the exact source and extent of the pollution. At this stage, it is not known which specific ship might be responsible for the possible leak, and no further details have been given regarding the spread of the contamination or its impact on the coastal environment.