Naval Drones Strike Oil Tanker Off Sochi Coast
Russian authorities reported a naval drone attack on the oil tanker Aframax Rio off Sochi, rescuing 23 Indian crew members from the resulting fire.
A Liberian-flagged oil tanker, the Aframax Rio, caught fire off the coast of Sochi, Russia, on Tuesday following an attack by naval drones. The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation reported that the resulting crude oil blaze was initially too intense for firefighters to approach. All 23 crew members, who are Indian nationals, were rescued without injuries.
The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation characterized the incident as an attack by unmanned vessels, though authorities did not immediately identify the perpetrators. This strike is part of a broader surge of drone attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea. Recent targets include the Togo-flagged Alfa Watan and the Palau-flagged Able in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, as well as the sinking of the Turkish-owned MV Royad Mammadov near Romania.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attributed these regional strikes to Russian drones, contradicting the Russian narrative regarding the Aframax Rio. Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs of India condemned the attacks on commercial shipping and coordinated assistance for the rescued crew.
