Large numbers of dead dolphins have washed up on the shores and banks of the Black Sea since two Russian oil tankers collided in the Kerch Strait last month.

Growing numbers of dead dolphins are washing up on shore following the collision of two Russian oil tankers in the Kerch Strait between the Black and Azov Seas, according to ecologists. The deaths of 32 of the animals are believed to be linked to last month's spillage of heavy oil in the sea,

Oil from two ageing and damaged Russian tankers was detected Friday off the coast of Sevastopol, the largest city in Moscow-annexed Crimea, a local official said.