60,000 litres of oil removed from warship Ilmarinen wreck

The Finnish Environment Institute and the Navy have removed 60,000 litres of oil from the wreck of the armoured ship Ilmarinen, the institute reports.

The operation took place between 14 and 24 July. The vessel, which sank during World War II, is considered one of the Baltic Sea’s most environmentally hazardous wrecks due to the oil in its tanks.

As of mid-July, the wreck was estimated to still contain around 100,000 litres of light fuel oil. Authorities managed to drain a significant amount during the two-week operation, though not all the oil has yet been removed. Work was temporarily halted at times due to rough seas.