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23 Indians rescued after Ukraine tanker drone strike
The Hindu··5d ago
Ukraine struck a Liberian-flagged oil tanker off Russia's Sochi coast on October 6, 2026 evening. Russia's transport ministry said naval drones hit the vessel and crude oil was burning in the Black Sea. All 23 Indian crew members were rescued, with no injuries reported. Sochi beaches were restricted as black smoke rose near the resort city of nearly 500,000 people.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Indian sailors on Black Sea routes face rising risk from drone strikes on commercial tankers.
- Sochi authorities restricted coastal and beach access after the fire and smoke.
- India's MEA has tracked related crew rescues after other Black Sea shipping incidents.
What's Happening
- Firefighters could not tackle the blaze at first because of its intensity, officials said.
- Russia's transport minister convened an emergency response headquarters for the incident.
- In a separate Black Sea case, Bulgaria reported two commercial vessels hit by drones.
Shipping Under Fire In The Black Sea
- Both sides have targeted commercial shipping around the Black Sea since the 2022 conflict began.
- Russia has recently struck grain vessels carrying Ukrainian goods near Romania.
- Earlier Ukrainian strikes on southern Russian oil sites left slicks and closed beaches.
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