This is reported by Ivan Rusev, an ecologist from the Tuzlovsky Limans National Park.

Researchers indicate that dolphins in the Black Sea are dying due to weakened immune systems and water pollution. Ecologists argue that these mammals are perishing because of concussions caused by military sonar devices used by Russian forces to detect underwater objects.

«Dolphins with compromised immune systems suffer from concussions from sonar, which became prevalent in 2022 during the active phase of the war in the Northwestern part of the sea. After the Armed Forces of Ukraine pushed their military vessels first to occupied Sevastopol and then to Novorossiysk, they continue to kill dolphins there, persistently employing deadly military sonars. Consequently, the impact of sonars leads to immune system decline and various diseases, including skin disorders,» says Ivan Rusev.

According to ecologists' estimates, over the past three years, more than 80,000 Black Sea cetaceans have died from sonar exposure, mine explosions, and bombings. Several thousand more have perished due to oil pollution from tanker accidents in the Kerch Strait.