All 23 Indian Crew Rescued After Drone Attack Sets Liberian-Flagged Tanker Ablaze Near Sochi, Russia

All 23 Indian crew members aboard the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Aframax Rio were rescued after the vessel was attacked by drone boats and caught fire off Russia's Black Sea coast near Sochi on the evening of October 6, 2026, Russia's Transport Ministry confirmed. The tanker was carrying crude oil when it was attacked around 6:00 pm local time, according to The Week and Marine Insight. The attack caused crude oil to burn openly on the surface of the Black Sea, sending thick black smoke into the sky visible from the Sochi coastline. The Russian Ministry of Transport said preliminary information indicated no injuries were reported, though some sources cited one Indian sailor injured. The intensity of the flames initially prevented firefighters from getting close enough to tackle the blaze. Authorities restricted access to beaches and parts of the Sochi coastline while emergency operations continued. While media reports attributed the attack to Ukraine, Russian authorities have not officially confirmed the perpetrator. The vessel was reportedly traveling from Novorossiysk to India and carrying between 95,000 and 100,000 metric tons of oil.

Indian seafarers working on third-country-flagged vessels face exposure to attacks in the Black Sea conflict zone, though all 23 crew members were rescued in this incident. The injury toll remains unclear given conflicting reports. The attack disrupted a vessel bound for India carrying crude oil.

Sources

Marine Insight, "Oil Tanker Carrying 23 Indians Catches Fire After Drone Attack Off Russia's Black Sea Coast," October 7, 2026, marineinsight.com The Week, "Drone attack sets oil tanker with 23 Indians ablaze near Russia's Sochi," October 7, 2026, theweek.in Oneindia, "Oil Tanker Carrying 23 Indians Catches Fire After Drone Attack Off Russia's Sochi," October 7, 2026, oneindia.com The Federal, "'Ukrainian' drone attack sets oil tanker ablaze off Sochi, all 23 Indian crew members rescued," October 7, 2026, thefederal.com OpIndia, "Ukraine drone strike sets oil tanker with 23 Indians on fire near Russia's Sochi coast: All Indian crew rescued," October 7, 2026, opindia.com Baird Maritime, "Tanker catches fire following suspected drone strike in Black Sea off Russia," October 7, 2026, bairdmaritime.com ABC News (Australia), "Tanker attack in Black Sea off Sochi sparks 'fire of oil', Russia says," October 7, 2026, abc.net.au Wikipedia, "Andrey Nikitin (politician)," accessed October 7, 2026, en.wikipedia.org)