A Liberia-flagged tanker carrying crude oil was attacked by unmanned surface vessels (sea drones) in the Black Sea off the coast of Sochi, Russia.
Sea-news.az reports that the statement was released by the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation.
It was reported that Minister Andrey Nikitin chaired a headquarters meeting on addressing the aftermath of the tanker attack. According to the Ministry of Transport, the ship’s 23-member crew, consisting of Indian nationals, was safely evacuated, with no injuries reported according to initial assessments.
The attack resulted in a fire aboard the oil tanker in the Black Sea waters off Sochi. Earlier reports circulating on social media had indicated that unmanned surface craft were responsible for the blaze.
According to data from the global maritime navigation platform “MarineTraffic,” the tanker had been anchored near the shore for several days. The “Mash” Telegram channel noted that the captain managed to request the immediate evacuation of all 23 crew members in time. The vessel was reportedly carrying crude oil from Novorossiysk to India and was nearly fully loaded.
Details regarding the exact cause of the incident and the extent of the damage to the tanker are currently being clarified.
