Oil tanker with 23 Indians on board catches fire near Sochi — NDTV World

An oil tanker flying the Liberian flag caught fire near Sochi, Russia, with a crew of 23 Indian citizens on board. According to NDTV World, all crew members were rescued.

Russia claims drone attack

The Russian Ministry of Transport, of the aggressor state, said that the vessel was attacked by sea drones. The ministry also reported that crude oil was burning with open flames in the waters of the Black Sea.

According to the ministry, firefighters have not yet been able to extinguish the fire because of its intensity. They plan to try again to contain the flames when they become less intense.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Videos circulated on social media showing bright flames at sea and thick black smoke near Sochi. The city’s mayor announced restrictions on access to the coast and beaches.

Incidents near Romania

The day before, another vessel caught fire and sank off the coast of Romania. One person died and another is missing. Ukraine said that Russia carried out the attack on this vessel.

The outlet notes that Russia and Ukraine have been striking commercial shipping in the Black Sea since the start of the war in 2022. In recent days, Russia has attacked grain vessels near the coast of Romania, an EU member state, according to NDTV World.