A Liberia-flagged oil tanker carrying 23 Indian crew members caught fire near Russia’s Black Sea coast after an attack by unmanned vessels on Tuesday evening. All 23 sailors were safely rescued, according to Russia’s Transport Ministry. No injuries were reported.
The vessel, Aframax Rio, was reportedly travelling from Novorossiysk to India with a cargo of crude oil when the incident took place near Sochi. Reports said the tanker was carrying around 95,000 to 100,000 tonnes of oil. A large fire broke out on the ship, while thick black smoke was seen from the coast.
Russian authorities said the tanker was attacked by unmanned surface vessels. However, Russia has not officially confirmed who carried out the attack. Some media reports have attributed the incident to Ukrainian drones, but Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility. The ship’s management has also said it will not speculate about the identity or motive of the attacker while the circumstances remain under investigation.
The incident led authorities to temporarily close beaches and waterfront areas around Sochi and Sirius. Emergency teams later brought the fire under control.
The incident has raised fresh concerns over the safety of Indian sailors and commercial shipping in the Black Sea.
The attack came shortly after another serious incident in the Strait of Hormuz. A projectile hit the Panama-flagged MT On Peace off Oman, injuring 12 crew members, including 11 Indians. The injured sailors were evacuated to Oman for treatment.
