A Liberian-flagged oil tanker carrying 23 Indian crew members caught fire off Russia’s Black Sea coast after what Russian authorities described as an attack by naval drones, with all crew members rescued, according to a report by news agency Reuters.
The tanker, identified as the Aframax Rio, was attacked by “naval drones” on Tuesday, triggering a fire near the Russian resort city of Sochi, Russia’s Transport Ministry said, according to Reuters.
All 23 crew members aboard the tanker were Indian nationals and were rescued following the attack, the report said. There were no reports of injuries among the crew.
The blaze was initially too intense for firefighters to approach the tanker, the Russian Transport Ministry said. Firefighters were expected to make another attempt to bring the blaze under control once its intensity decreased.
Russian authorities said crude oil was burning following the attack. Footage circulating on social media showed bright flames at sea and a thick column of black smoke rising near Sochi, Reuters reported.
Authorities in Sochi restricted access to the coast and beaches following the incident.
Russia did not immediately identify those responsible for the attack. Reuters report says that the Russian Transport Ministry said the tanker had been attacked by an unmanned vessel, but there was no immediate independent confirmation that Ukraine was behind the incident.
The tanker fire came amid a series of incidents involving commercial vessels in the Black Sea as the Russia-Ukraine war continues.
A day earlier, the Turkish-owned cargo vessel MV Royad Mammadov caught fire and sank in the Black Sea outside Romania’s territorial waters, Reuters reported. Two people were killed and 11 crew members were rescued, according to Romanian authorities.
Three Indian nationals were among the crew, and one Indian crew member was injured, according to reports.
Reacting to the escalation, India condemned the attack and reiterated its call for dialogue and diplomacy to end ongoing conflicts. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that the injured crew members had been rescued by Romanian authorities and were receiving medical attention, while expressing gratitude for Bucharest's swift action. Indian Ambassador to Romania Manoj Mohapatra also visited the three Indian nationals receiving treatment at Constanța County Hospital to assure them of continued assistance.
The MEA voiced grave concern over continued threats to commercial shipping, noting that such targeting severely undermines global commerce and the welfare of people worldwide, while highlighting India's role in co-launching the "Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers" at the United Nations. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had similarly raised alarms over attacks on commercial vessels during his UN General Assembly address the previous week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the vessel had been struck by a Russian drone.
On Tuesday, two commercial vessels were also struck by drones in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea, according to Reuters. One vessel, the Togo-flagged Alfa Watan, sank, while the Palau-flagged Able caught fire. All 18 crew members aboard the Able were evacuated, with two suffering serious injuries.
The origin of the drones involved in the Bulgarian incidents was under investigation, while Zelenskyy blamed Russia for the attacks.
Commercial shipping in the Black Sea has faced growing risks since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Both Russia and Ukraine have targeted infrastructure and military-linked facilities in the region, while vessels operating in and around the Black Sea have increasingly been caught up in the conflict.
The latest incidents have renewed concerns over the safety of commercial shipping and the potential disruption to vital maritime trade routes in the region.