Black Sea Drone Attack Sets Russian Oil Tanker Ablaze Near Sochi

Russian rescue teams have saved all 23 Indian crew members from an oil tanker that caught fire after a drone attack in the Black Sea near the resort city of Sochi. The Russian Ministry of Transport announced the rescue on Tuesday. The ship, named AFRAMAX RIO, flies the flag of Liberia. It was hit by sea drones, which Russian officials believe were probably Ukrainian. Ukraine has not commented on the attack. "Oil is burning in the Black Sea right now," the Ministry said. "Firefighting can only begin once the flames weaken and rescue boats can safely approach. There are enough resources to handle the aftermath." Before the rescue was confirmed, Russian authorities had only reported a fire on a tanker. They closed beaches in the Sirius federal area, near Sochi in the Krasnodar region. Residents were told to stay indoors and keep windows shut. Videos and photos shared on social media showed bright orange flames in the sea and a thick column of black smoke rising into the sky. Sochi is a popular tourist city on the Black Sea with nearly 500,000 residents. The AFRAMAX RIO was heading to India, according to the Mash news channel. It is not sanctioned by Western countries, but Ukraine has placed it on a blacklist as part of Russia's so-called "ghost fleet" — a group of ships that transport Russian oil while avoiding international restrictions. Also on Tuesday, a cargo ship sank with its entire crew missing, and another ship was damaged in a drone attack about 70 nautical miles (129 kilometers) off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast. The Bulgarian government confirmed the attacks but did not say who launched the drones. On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Russia for a drone attack that killed two people on a grain cargo ship off Romania's coast. Russia and Ukraine have both attacked commercial shipping in the Black Sea since the war began. In recent days, the Russian military has increased attacks on Ukrainian ports, Black Sea coastlines, and Kyiv. Russia says these strikes are a response to recent threats by Zelensky against Russian oil refineries.