A Liberian-flagged oil tanker carrying 23 Indian crew members caught fire off Russia’s southern Black Sea coast on Tuesday evening after what Russian authorities described as an attack by “naval drones”. All 23 crew members were rescued, Russia’s Transport Ministry said.
The tanker was hit off the coast of the Russian resort city of Sochi, sending thick black smoke into the sky. The incident comes amid growing attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Tanker catches fire off Sochi
The Liberian-flagged vessel caught fire after being struck by “naval drones”, news agency AFP reported. Several purported videos and photographs shared on social media showed bright orange flames burning offshore, with thick black smoke rising over Sochi.
The intensity of the fire initially prevented firefighters from tackling the blaze, according to Russia’s Transport Ministry.
Access to the coastline and beaches was restricted after the fire, Sochi’s mayor said in a social media post. The resort city, located on Russia’s southern coast, has nearly 5,00,000 residents and attracts large numbers of visitors to its beaches.
The tanker was later identified in reports as the Aframax Rio. The vessel has also been reported to be subject to Ukrainian sanctions and linked to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet”.
Black Sea shipping faces growing risks
The attack adds to mounting concerns over the safety of commercial vessels operating in the Black Sea. Shipping in and around the region has increasingly come under attack since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
Russia has in recent days also struck grain vessels carrying Ukrainian goods near the coast of Romania, an EU member state.
Ukraine has defended its strikes on Russian oil infrastructure as retaliation for Moscow’s repeated attacks on Ukrainian towns and cities. Both Moscow and Kyiv have threatened to step up their attacks in recent weeks.
Russia has recently intensified attacks on key bridges in Kyiv and launched daytime drone strikes in the capital, causing major traffic disruptions.
Previous Ukrainian strikes on oil facilities in southern Russia have resulted in oil slicks, beach closures and reports of toxic black rain.
Recent attacks on commercial vessels
The latest incident follows other attacks involving commercial shipping in the Black Sea.
Last month, Russia was reported to have targeted grain vessels carrying Ukrainian goods near the Romanian coast. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said one of the vessels was carrying Ukrainian grain to Egypt and was hit by a Russian missile overnight, shortly after leaving Ukrainian territorial waters. There were no casualties, he said.
The continuing attacks have increased concerns about the risks faced by merchant vessels using routes through the Black Sea, where commercial shipping remains vulnerable amid the wider Russia-Ukraine conflict.