Russia says naval drones set tanker Aframax Rio ablaze off Sochi; 23 crew rescued

Russia's transport ministry says the Liberian-flagged tanker Aframax Rio was attacked by naval drones in the Black Sea near Sochi on the evening of 6 October, according to an AFP report carried by Gulf News. The ministry said crude oil was burning openly on the water, and firefighters were unable to put out the blaze. All 23 crew members, Indian nationals, were rescued, and local authorities restricted access to beaches and the coastline in the resort city. India's The Week reports that the tanker was carrying oil from Novorossiysk to India. AFP describes the attack as a Ukrainian drone strike; Ukraine has previously defended such strikes as retaliation for Russian attacks on its towns and cities.

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