A Ukrainian strike on an oil tanker off the southern coast of Russia on Tuesday evening resulted in a significant fire and a plume of black smoke that enveloped parts of the resort city of Sochi. Both sides have increasingly targeted commercial shipping in the Black Sea since the onset of the conflict in 2022. Recently, Russia has also attacked cargo ships carrying Ukrainian grain near the Romanian coast, an EU member state.
The Russian Ministry of Transport reported that a Liberian-flagged oil tanker was struck by “naval drones” and that “crude oil is burning in the open waters of the Black Sea.” Due to the severity of the fire, firefighters were unable to intervene, but a crew of 23 Indian nationals was rescued, according to the ministry. Videos and photographs widely shared on social media from Sochi, a popular resort city with nearly 500,000 residents, displayed intense orange flames on the sea and thick black smoke rising into the sky.
Access to Beaches and Promenade Restricted
Access to the promenade and beaches has been restricted, as confirmed by the city’s mayor on social media. Kyiv stated that its attacks on Russian oil infrastructure are a justified response to Moscow’s nighttime bombings against Ukrainian cities and towns. Both sides have vowed to escalate their attacks in recent weeks. Russia has intensified its bombardments of key bridges in Kyiv and has been targeting the heart of the Ukrainian capital with daytime drone strikes, a new tactic that has paralyzed the city. Previous Ukrainian attacks on oil facilities in southern Russia have resulted in oil spills, beach closures, and toxic black rain falling to the ground.
