New Delhi. The Liberian flagged tanker 'Aframax Rio' caught fire following an attack by an unmanned vessel in the Black Sea of Russia, following which an emergency rescue operation was carried out in which all 23 Indian crew members were rescued safely. This information has been given by the Transport Ministry of Russia.
The ministry said in a report posted on Telegram that all the crew members were Indian citizens. It said that no one was hurt. In a video released on social media on Tuesday, a ship caught fire in the Black Sea and a thick plume of smoke was seen rising into the sky.
The ministry said, after the flames subsided, firefighters had enough resources to completely control the fire. Local officials of Sirius, located in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, had earlier reported the tanker fire. After this, officials closed the beaches in the area to the public as emergency operations continued.
A large fire is burning on the water off Sochi tonight, with footage showing a long line of flame and a massive black smoke column visible across the city — consistent with burning oil from a tanker.
Ukrainian-aligned accounts claim the tanker was hit.
Russian sources say only that a vessel near the port is on fire with the cause unknown.
— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 6, 2026
Meanwhile, earlier a news had come out, in which it was told that a Russian drone targeted a cargo ship in the Black Sea, whose crew also included three Indian citizens.
The captain of the ship died in this attack, while an Indian crew member was said to be injured. At the same time, the Indian Embassy in Romania had informed that all three Indian citizens are now safe. After the attack, the cargo ship 'MV Royad Mammadov' caught fire and sank.