23 Indians Rescued After Ukraine Drone Strike Sets Oil Tanker Ablaze Off Russia
All 23 Indian crew members aboard a Liberian-flagged oil tanker were safely rescued after the vessel caught fire following a Ukrainian naval drone strike off Russia’s Black Sea coast on Tuesday evening.
The tanker, Aframax Rio, was attacked near Sochi, with Russia’s Transport Ministry saying Ukrainian naval drones targeted the vessel. The tanker was carrying crude oil when the strike caused a fire that could be seen from the Sochi shoreline.
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The entire crew of 23 were Indian nationals.
Russian maritime authorities said all of them were evacuated safely and that there were no reports of major injuries.
The fire continued to burn at sea, with thick black smoke visible from the coast.
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Emergency teams were deployed in the area, but the intensity of the blaze initially prevented firefighters from approaching the tanker closely.
Authorities said they were prepared to begin further firefighting operations once conditions became safer.
The incident also led local authorities to restrict access to parts of the coastline. Beaches in the nearby Sirius federal territory were closed as a precaution.
Authorities are monitoring air and water quality around the affected area.
Initial local assessments indicated that pollution levels remained below dangerous limits and there was no immediate health threat to people living along the coast.
The Aframax Rio has also been identified by Ukrainian authorities as a vessel linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, a network of ships accused of helping transport Russian oil despite international sanctions.
The incident comes amid continuing attacks involving commercial shipping and energy infrastructure in the Black Sea as the Russia-Ukraine war enters another phase of escalation.
