# Oil tanker burns off Sochi, blanketing the city in black smoke

https://mins.news/en/item/88484

- Meduza, 2026-10-06 18:20 UTC
- World
- Original: https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/10/06/oil-tanker-burns-off-coast-of-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.

## Related coverage

- [Shadow fleet tanker reportedly ablaze near Russian port city Sochi](https://mins.news/en/item/88437) — The Kyiv Independent, 2026-10-06
- [Tanker catches fire in Black Sea, beaches closed](https://mins.news/en/item/88425) — TASS, 2026-10-06
- [Turkish grain ship sinks in Black Sea after deadly drone attack](https://mins.news/en/video/86843) — euronews, 2026-10-05
