MOSCOW, July 31 (RIA Novosti) - An oil leak from the Russian section of a pipeline near the Belarusian border threatens an environmental catastrophe in the region, the Natural Resources Ministry said Monday.
Sunday's accident on the Druzhba (Friendship) oil pipeline, which runs from Russia to central Europe and is controlled by Russia's state-owned pipeline monopoly Transneft, caused a spillage and pollution over an area of ten square kilometers, including forests and water facilities, in the Bryansk Region.
The ministry said it had formed a commission to investigate the causes and circumstances of the accident.
"On arriving at the site of the accident, the commission will give a preliminary assessment of environmental damage in the Bryansk Region, and ensure the implementation of environmental legislation in dealing with the oil spill," the ministry said, adding that commission members are currently on their way to the region.
