Russian oil tanker 'blows up' covering holiday hotspot in plumes of smoke
An oil tanker, suspected to be part of Russia's 'shadow fleet,' exploded off the coast of Sochi, causing a massive fire and smoke. While Ukraine has not claimed responsibility, the incident occurs amid heightened tensions and warnings of potential large-scale Russian attacks.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the vulnerability of Russian maritime logistics and the ongoing shadow war occurring in the Black Sea region.
Huge fire engulfs a burning oil tanker off Sochi, as black smoke blankets Russian popular Black Sea resort (Picture: east2west news)
An oil tanker thought to have been part of Russia’s shadow fleet has exploded off the coast of Sochi.
Plumes of smoke can be seen for miles covering the Black Sea holiday resort on Tuesday night.
Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the blast.
According to Sochi Online the vessel was attacked by ‘unmanned boats’ but the port city’s authority has not yet commented.
Thick smoke has obscured the sky above the city, a playground for Russia’s wealthy, with locals told to wear masks and keep their windows shut.
The beaches were all closed too.
Russian Telegram channels claim the ship could be the Liberia-flagged tanker Aframax Rea.
The ship is a large crude oil tanker and was included on Ukraine’s sanctions list as part of Russia’s shadow fleet.
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