The work aims to assess the assimilation capacity of bottom sediments of the Sea of Azov with respect to copper and zinc by the level of their elimination into the geological depot as a result of sedimentation. The paper analyses metal concentrations in water and bottom sediments in 1991-2023. In 1998-2023, the average values of copper in sea water exceeded maximum permissible concentration (5 μg/L) and ranged 5.2-12 μg/L. The average concentration of copper in the bottom sediments of the Sea of Azov in 1991-1999 was 29.8 μg/g, in 2000-2010 it was 35.5 μg/g, and in 2011-2023 it was 9.3 μg/g. The copper flux from the water to the bottom sediments of the open part of the sea ranged 14-381 t/year, whereas in Taganrog Bay it was 16-153 t/year. Sediment turnover periods of copper in the open sea and in Taganrog Bay averaged 0.5 and 1.6 years, respectively. The assimilation capacity of bottom sediments for copper in the open sea was 135.6 t/year and for Taganrog Bay it was 75.7 t/year. The zinc concentration in water exceeded its maximum permissible concentration (50 μg/L) in different years (up to 79 μg/L in Kuban-Akhtarsky and Kuban-Temryuksky districts). In the bottom sediments, the zinc concentration during the entire observation period was in the range of 17.1-98 μg/g in the open sea and 19.0-111 μg/g in the bay. The flux of sedimentation self-purification of water from zinc in the open sea was in the range of 175-902 t/year and in Taganrog Bay it was 76-407 t/year. The zinc turnover period in the open part of the sea varied within 0.7-39.8 years and in the bay, it was 0.1-4.8 years. The assimilation capacity of the bottom sediments with respect to zinc was 313.6 t/year for the open part of the sea and 169.1 t/year for Taganrog Bay. Determination of assimilation capacity of bottom sediments allows normalizing planned inputs of copper and zinc into the water area of the Sea of Azov.