HELSINKI, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Finland has successfully removed about 60,000 litters of oil from the wreck of the World War II coastal defense ship Ilmarinen, announced the Ministry of the Environment in a press release published on Friday.
According to the press release, the operation, carried out from July 14 to July 24, was led jointly by the Finnish Environment Institute and the Finnish Navy, with support from the Finnish Border Guard and the Diving Medical Center of the Defense Forces.
As a result, approximately 60,000 liters of oil was removed from the vessel's fuel tanks. However, around 40,000 liters of oil remain trapped inside the wreck and recovery operation is expected to continue in 2027.
The coastal defense ship Ilmarinen, which sank in September 1941 after hitting a mine in the northern Baltic Sea, has been one of the shipwrecks that are hazardous to the Baltic Sea environment.
The operation was extremely demanding, as the wreck lies at a depth of 60 to 80 meters, requiring stringent safety measures for the equipment, diving activities and surface operations, according to the Finnish Navy.
According to Finnish Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala, because of the operation, Ilmarinen now poses a significantly lower risk to the Baltic Sea environment. "It is important to complete the oil removal," emphasized Multala.
