The Russian Transport Ministry and Reuters said the Liberia-flagged Aframax Rio caught fire after an attack by an unmanned vessel; all crew members were Indian nationals.
The Liberia-flagged tanker Aframax Rio caught fire in the Black Sea off Sochi after an attack by an unmanned vessel. Russian emergency services rescued all 23 crew members, who were Indian nationals. No injuries were reported, according to Russia’s Transport Ministry and Reuters.
The ministry said the fire was initially too intense for firefighters to tackle, but crews later had the means to fight it. It also said oil was burning on the sea surface. Beaches in the federal territory of Sirius were closed after the incident, and local authorities said they were monitoring air and water quality.
Responsibility for the attack has not been officially established. The Times of India headline attributes it to Ukrainian drones, but Reuters, citing Russia’s Transport Ministry, described an attack by an unmanned vessel and did not identify its operator. The vessel’s origin therefore remains unconfirmed.
The incident comes amid a series of attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea. The Times of India report also mentions other recent ship incidents and statements by parties to the conflict; those do not establish who attacked the Aframax Rio.