WorldOil tanker burns off Sochi, blanketing the city in black smoke

Residents reported a fire aboard a vessel in the Black Sea near Sochi, with thick smoke covering the city center. A local social-media page said the ship may have been attacked by naval drones, but authorities have not commented and the cause is unknown. Telegram channels identified it as the Liberian-flagged Aframax Rio, carrying oil from Novorossiysk to India. Beaches in the Sirius federal territory were temporarily closed, and residents were urged to limit time outdoors and keep windows shut.

Sochitanker fireBlack Seaair quality

MMeduza★★★☆☆2026-10-06 18:20Original