Ukraine drone strike sets oil tanker ablaze off Russia's Sochi, 23 Indian crew rescued
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Ukraine drone strike sets oil tanker ablaze off Russia's Sochi, 23 Indian crew rescued")
This screen grab taken from an UGC obtained by AFPTV on October 6, 2026, shows a fire on a vessel believed to be an oil tanker at the Russian city of Sochi on the Black Sea Photograph: (AFP)
Ukraine strikes an oil tanker near Sochi, sparking a huge fire as all 23 Indian crew members are rescued and Black Sea tensions escalate
Ukraine attacked an oil tanker off Russia’s southern coast on Tuesday (October 6) evening, setting the vessel ablaze and sending a huge cloud of black smoke over parts of the resort city of Sochi. The incident comes as Russia and Ukraine continue to target commercial shipping and energy infrastructure around the Black Sea, more than four years after the conflict started. In recent days, Russian strikes have hit grain vessels carrying Ukrainian cargo near the coast of EU member Romania.
Russia’s Transport Ministry said a Liberian-flagged tanker had been targeted by naval drones, adding that crude oil is burning openly in the waters of the Black Sea. The intensity of the fire prevented firefighters from directly tackling the blaze, according to the ministry. All 23 crew members, who were Indian nationals, were rescued.
Footage and images shared widely on social media showed large orange flames burning offshore near Sochi, while a thick column of dark smoke rose into the sky. Sochi authorities restricted access to parts of the coastline and beaches as emergency services responded to the incident, the city’s mayor said on social media.
Ukraine targets Russian oil infrastructure
Ukraine has repeatedly defended strikes against Russia’s oil infrastructure as retaliation for Moscow’s continued attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns. Both Moscow and Kyiv have signalled that attacks could intensify as the war continues. Russia has recently expanded strikes against strategic infrastructure in Kyiv, including key bridges, while daytime drone attacks on the Ukrainian capital have caused major disruption and traffic congestion. Ukrainian strikes against energy facilities and oil infrastructure in southern Russia have previously led to oil spills, beach closures and reports of toxic black rain.
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