Prometheus cleans up the aftermath of the Anapa oil spill

A Russian-made underwater robot called Prometheus has removed over two tons of oil products from the Black Sea seabed near Anapa, showcasing the growing role of robotics in emergency environmental response.

Developed at the V. N. Tatishchev Astrakhan State University, the Prometheus robot was designed to inspect underwater objects. But when a heavy fuel oil spill hit the coast near Anapa, the robot was rapidly adapted to clean the seafloor.

In just two months, Prometheus collected over two tons of oil products from the depths of the Black Sea. The robot can operate at depths of up to 1,000 meters and is controlled manually via joystick. Its successful deployment in a crisis underscores the effectiveness of Russian digital technologies in addressing environmental disasters.

Prometheus’s mission has opened the door to broader use of robotics in managing industrial accidents, illustrating how locally developed engineering solutions can deliver results in the field.