International
oi-Gaurav Sharma
A large fire broke out on a tanker ship carrying an Indian crew in the Black Sea after it was attacked by naval drones near Russia’s southern coast, leading to the abandonment of the vessel by all 23 sailors on board.
The Liberian-flagged ship was carrying crude oil when it was attacked near the Russian resort city of Sochi on the Black Sea. Russian authorities said the attack caused crude oil to catch fire on the surface of the sea, creating a dangerous situation for emergency crews.
A fire erupted on a Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker with an Indian crew near Sochi, Russia, after a naval drone attack, resulting in the rescue of all 23 sailors amid escalating dangers for commercial vessels in the Black Sea.
All members of the ship’s 23-member crew were rescued. One Indian sailor was injured in the attack.
The intensity of the flames initially prevented firefighters from getting close enough to the fire to fight it. Emergency crews were expected to make another attempt once the fire had subsided.
The attack on the tanker quickly drew attention from the so-called Sochi coastline, where residents and tourists were able to see towering flames and a thick plume of black smoke rising from the sea. Authorities also placed a ban on beaches and parts of the coastline as emergency operations continued.
The tanker incident comes on the heels of a spike in attacks involving commercial vehicles in and around the Black Sea. Another vessel was set ablaze and sank off the coast of Romania a day earlier, killing one person and leaving another missing.
The Black Sea has become increasingly dangerous for commercial vessels since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Both countries have increased attacks on infrastructure related to the opponent’s economy and war effort.
Ukraine has repeatedly defended attacks on Russian oil facilities as retaliation for Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities. Moscow has also increased attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, including ports and transport routes.
