Key facts
- A Liberia-flagged tanker, the Aframax Rea, was reportedly ablaze near Sochi on Oct. 6.
- The vessel is part of Russia's shadow fleet and was sanctioned by Ukraine.
- Russian authorities have not commented on the incident.
- The ship may have been attacked by naval drones, according to Russian Telegram channels.
- Sochi has been increasingly targeted by Ukrainian drone attacks.
A tanker identified as the Liberia-flagged Aframax Rea was reportedly ablaze in the Black Sea near the Russian port city of Sochi on Oct. 6. Russian independent media outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe cited Russian Telegram channels suggesting the vessel may have been attacked by naval drones. Russian authorities have not yet commented on the incident.
Videos circulating on social media showed fire and thick black smoke rising above Sochi. The Aframax Rea, a large crude oil tanker, was added to Ukraine's sanctions list on Feb. 12, 2026, as part of Russia's "shadow fleet."
Sochi has seen an increase in Ukrainian drone attacks over the past year, with its port and an oil depot targeted in September. The city is located approximately 650-700 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
This incident follows other maritime attacks in the region. Earlier on Oct. 6, a Russian strike on a Marshall Islands-flagged merchant vessel near Odesa resulted in at least one crew member's death and several injuries, according to Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper. The vessel, carrying rapeseed oil, sustained damage and a fire.
Separately, two merchant ships, the Togo-flagged Alfa Watan and the Palau-flagged Able, were struck by drones of unknown origin approximately 112 kilometers off Bulgaria's coast on Oct. 6. Bulgarian broadcaster Nova reported this as potentially the first drone attack on commercial shipping within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone.
President Volodymyr Zelensky denied on Telegram that Ukrainian forces were responsible for the strikes near Bulgaria. Russian forces had previously attacked a Liberian-flagged civilian cargo ship near Odesa on Oct. 3, resulting in one fatality.
Since mid-July, Russia has escalated attacks on Odesa's ports and related infrastructure. Dmytro Barinov, president of the Ukrainian Ports Association Ukrport, stated that while ports remain technically open, fewer ships are entering the area, which he described as a "new maritime kill zone."