“Shadow fleet” tanker ablaze off Sochi, beaches closed
A fire has broken out on an oil tanker in the Black Sea near Sochi, which Russian media channels link to a Ukrainian unmanned boat. Beaches in the nearby federal territory of Sirius have been closed and residents advised to keep windows shut.
An oil tanker has caught fire in the Black Sea close to Sochi, according to several Russian Telegram channels. Photos and video posted online show a huge column of black smoke rising from the site, clearly visible from the shore. Burning oil has most likely spilled onto the water.
Response by the authorities
Dmitry Plishkin, head of the Sirius federal territory near Sochi, said a tanker fire had broken out in the Black Sea waters. In a post on social media he announced that the territory's beaches would be closed to ensure residents' safety.
Plishkin asked residents and visitors to avoid spending extended time outdoors and, where possible, not to open windows indoors.
What caused the fire
The Telegram channel Sochi-radar, citing preliminary information, reported that an unmanned boat had attacked the tanker. It added that smoke had reached the Sochi coast and should not be inhaled. The channel Dva Majora also said the fire was caused by a Ukrainian unmanned boat.
According to the independent Russian outlet Agentstvo, the fire began on the tanker AFRAMAX RIO, which appears on Ukrainian sanctions lists as a vessel of Russia's “shadow fleet”.
The source text contains no official confirmation of who carried out the attack, and the information relies mainly on reports from social media channels.
