A Liberian-flagged oil tanker was hit by naval drones off Russia's Black Sea coast on Tuesday evening, causing a huge fire and a thick cloud of black smoke that drifted over parts of Sochi, a resort city of almost 500,000 people. Russia's transport ministry said crude oil was "burning openly in the waters of the Black Sea". All 23 crew members, who are Indian citizens, were rescued.
The ministry said firefighting would start only once the blaze had subsided enough for rescue vessels to approach safely. Videos and photos shared on social media showed bright orange flames at sea and a column of smoke rising over the city. The city's mayor said access to the coast and beaches was being restricted. Ukraine did not comment on the incident, although The Hindu reported it as a Ukrainian strike, citing Kyiv's position that attacks on Russian oil infrastructure are fair retribution for Moscow's nightly barrages on Ukrainian towns and cities. Earlier Ukrainian attacks on oil sites in southern Russia have led to oil slicks, closed beaches and toxic black rain.
The incident is part of a wider pattern. Both Russia and Ukraine have targeted commercial shipping in the Black Sea since the war began in 2022. In recent days Russia has struck grain vessels carrying Ukrainian goods near the coast of Romania, a member of both the EU and NATO.
On the same day, Bulgaria's prime minister, Rumen Radev, said two commercial vessels had been hit by sea and aerial drones about 80 miles (128km) off the Bulgarian coast. He described it as the first attack on shipping in the exclusive economic zone of the NATO member, and called it "an unacceptable attack" and "a blatant violation of international law and maritime law" after an emergency government meeting. Bulgarian authorities said the origin of the drones was still under investigation, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russia.
The fighting on land is also intensifying. Zelenskyy warned on Tuesday evening that a "massive strike" from Russia was likely, and in the early hours of Wednesday Kyiv came under attack. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said buildings and warehouses across the capital were damaged, and Reuters reported two people were killed. A separate strike on the south-eastern city of Dnipro hit an industrial facility. Both sides have vowed to escalate their attacks in recent weeks. Russia has been hitting key bridges in Kyiv and using daytime drone attacks, a new tactic that has caused gridlock in the city.
Why this matters: attacks on tankers and merchant ships put civilian crews at risk, threaten the environment along busy coastlines, and now reach the waters of countries outside the war. The Bulgarian incident in particular raises questions about maritime security in the Black Sea.