Major fire off the coast of Russia’s Sochi: oil tanker AFRAMAX RIO ablaze. VIDEO&PHOTOS
On 6 October, a major fire broke out at sea off the coast of Sochi in Russia. It is believed that a Russian oil tanker is on fire.
This is reported by ASTRA and local Russian social media pages, according to Censor.NET.
What is known?
According to media reports, the burning vessel is in the waters near the port of Sochi. Thick smoke from the fire can be seen from the shore at a considerable distance.
It is likely that, following an attack by a BEK or UAV, a vessel carrying oil or petroleum products caught fire. Due to a leak of flammable substances, the fire spread not only to the vessel itself but also to the water’s surface around it. No official statement has been made regarding the cause of the fire.
The fire aboard the tanker was confirmed by the head of the administration of the federal territory of "Sirius," located on the Black Sea coast near Adler, about 30 km from central Sochi. The official did not specify the cause of the fire. Due to the fire, beaches in "Sirius" will be temporarily closed, and residents are advised to keep their windows shut.
Details
- It should be noted that yesterday, 5 October, military exercises involving live-fire drills and grenade-throwing took place in the waters off the seaport of Sochi. It is not yet known whether these events are linked.
Update
According to ASTRA, AFRAMAX RIO (IMO: 9273844) is a large crude oil tanker capable of carrying 95,000–100,000 tonnes, or 700,000–750,000 barrels. The vessel sails under the Liberian flag. It is not on the sanctions lists of the EU or Ukraine’s allies, but Ukraine imposed sanctions on it on February 12, 2026, by a decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), along with 90 other vessels from Russia’s "shadow fleet."
According to the NSDC, the tanker is owned by RIO ENTERPRISES SA, a company registered in the Marshall Islands. According to ASTRA, operations and chartering were handled through the international operator Navig8 Group (Singapore) and Greek ship management companies, including Hellenic Tankers Co Ltd.
In 2024–2026, the tanker repeatedly transported oil from Russian ports, most frequently from Ust-Luga, as well as from Novorossiysk and Taman, to India, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia.
