Oil tanker fire off Sochi: beaches closed, air monitored

A large oil tanker caught fire Tuesday evening in the Black Sea off the coast of the Russian resort city of Sochi. Flames and a towering column of black smoke were visible from shore, prompting authorities to close all beaches in the nearby Sirius federal territory as a precautionary measure.

Dmitry Plishkin, head of the Sirius administration, confirmed that a tanker had caught fire in the Black Sea and announced the beach closures. He said authorities are conducting continuous monitoring of water and air quality in cooperation with the Russian meteorological service. Plishkin urged residents and visitors to avoid prolonged stays outdoors and, where possible, to keep windows closed.

According to vessel-tracking systems and media reports, the ship that caught fire is believed to be the AFRAMAX RIO, an oil tanker flying the Liberian flag. The tanker was built in 2004, measures approximately 247 meters in length and 42 meters in width, and is capable of carrying more than 100,000 tons of cargo.

Russian authorities have not yet officially confirmed the vessel's identity. However, ship-tracking systems indicated that the tanker was in the Sochi area shortly before the fire broke out.

According to reports, the tanker appears on Ukraine's sanctions list and is defined there as part of Russia's "shadow fleet", a network of vessels that Kyiv says is used to transport Russian oil and circumvent international restrictions. That does not necessarily mean the tanker was under sanctions by the United States or the European Union.

Russian media outlets and Telegram channels reported that the tanker was carrying crude oil from the port of Novorossiysk to India and was loaded with a large quantity of oil. However, Russian authorities have not yet confirmed what cargo was aboard the vessel at the time of the fire.

Footage circulating online showed large flames advancing along the ship and a column of black smoke rising above the sea. Local sources also reported the smell of smoke in various areas of Sochi. Some videos appeared to show fire spreading across the water's surface, though at this stage it is unclear whether this was due to an oil spill or other combustion byproducts.

The cause of the fire remains unknown. Shortly after the blaze began, Telegram channels reported that the tanker may have been attacked using unmanned surface vessels or drones. According to other reports, residents in the area did not hear a significant explosion before noticing the flames. At this stage there is no official confirmation that the tanker was attacked, and Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the incident.

The incident comes against the backdrop of a significant increase in attacks on vessels in the Black Sea. Earlier Tuesday, two commercial ships were reported hit in Bulgaria's economic zone, with one sinking and the other catching fire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Russia for the incident, while Moscow has not yet responded to the accusation.

One report published Tuesday evening claimed that the tanker's captain managed to request the evacuation of 23 crew members following the fire. The detail was published by the Mash channel and cited in Russian media, but at this stage no official statement has been released clarifying the fate of the crew or whether there are casualties.

Russian authorities continue to monitor the condition of the water and air in the area, while the beaches in Sirius remain closed to the public as a precautionary measure.