Tanker linked to Russia's shadow fleet catches fire off Sochi; two killed in Kyiv strike

An oil tanker associated with Russia's "shadow fleet" caught fire in the Black Sea off the coast of Sochi. Dmitry Plishkin, head of the administration of the federal territory of Sirius, announced it on Tuesday, 6 October. Sirius beaches will be closed temporarily, and residents were asked to limit time outdoors and, where possible, keep windows closed.

Tanker fire

Russia's Transport Ministry said the Liberian-flagged vessel carrying oil was attacked by uncrewed boats. The ship is named as the Aframax Rio. The ministry said oil was burning openly at sea and firefighting could begin only once the intensity dropped enough for rescue vessels to approach safely. It considers the available forces and equipment sufficient to deal with the consequences.

The outlet Astra writes that the tanker can carry up to 100,000 tonnes of oil. The Telegram channel Mash claims it was carrying crude from Novorossiysk to India and was almost fully loaded. According to the channel, the crew of 23 was evacuated and two people were injured.

Strikes in Ukraine

Two residents of Kyiv were killed in the overnight attack on the capital, in the Darnytskyi district, the city military administration reported. Authorities said a presumed missile hit set a garage cooperative on fire, while another strike landed in open ground. The air raid alert in the city continued.

In Kremenchuk, a missile attack damaged several residential apartment blocks, said Vitaliy Diakivnych, head of the Poltava regional military administration. Information on casualties is being clarified. An industrial enterprise in the Kremenchuk district was also hit.

Early on Wednesday, Russian forces struck a transport infrastructure facility in Zaporizhzhia from the air, said Mykhailo Semikin, acting head of the regional military administration. He did not name the facility but warned that traffic on some road sections may be restricted. No casualties were reported.

An industrial enterprise in Dnipro was hit overnight, according to Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration. Casualty information is being clarified.

Ukrainian estimate of Russian losses

Ukraine's General Staff says Russian losses from 24 February 2022 to 7 October 2026 total about 1,545,950 personnel, including 1,690 over the past day. It also reports 25,498 armoured vehicles, 50,836 artillery systems and 551,876 tactical-level drones. Ukraine does not regularly publish its own losses.