At the center of the latest escalation of the war in the Black Sea is a tanker owned by a Cypriot company, which burst into flames after an attack by an unmanned vessel off the coast of Sochi, with its 23 crew members safely evacuated.
The tanker, with a deadweight tonnage of 107,113 dwt and built in 2004, flies the Liberian flag. Rio Enterprises SA is listed as the registered owner, while Hellenic Tankers, a company linked to Cyprus, handles the ship’s management and commercial operations.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The attack occurred on Tuesday, October 6, off the Russian coast of the Black Sea. The Russian Ministry of Transport announced that the vessel was struck by an unmanned craft, resulting in a major fire.
BLACK SEA | Crude Oil Tanker AFRAMAX RIO Catches Fire Near Sochi, Possible Ukrainian Attack Suspected
Marine Tanks
AdvertisementNew Delhi: A crude oil tanker, the AFRAMAX RIO (IMO 9273844), caught fire off the coast of Sochi in Russia’s Black Sea region on Tuesday evening. A massive fire and a thick column of black smoke, reportedly visible from several kilometers away, were seen rising from the vessel.
Initial reports suggest that the tanker may have been targeted in a possible Ukrainian maritime drone attack. However, the exact cause of the fire has not yet been officially confirmed by Russian authorities. Some local reports have also mentioned a possible maritime drone strike.
AFRAMAX RIO, IMO No. 9273844, is a Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker. Available vessel records indicate that the ship is approximately 247 meters long, with a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of around 107,113 metric tons.
AdvertisementAccording to reports, the tanker was located approximately 15 kilometers off the coast of Sochi. The vessel’s latest AIS position was also reported in the same general area.
Following the incident, local authorities reportedly closed beaches in the Sirius area and began monitoring air and water quality as a precautionary measure.
AdvertisementSome reports indicate that 23 crew members were onboard the tanker and that the captain requested an evacuation. However, there is currently no independently confirmed information regarding the condition of the crew or any casualties.
Information is being gathered to determine whether any Indian seafarers are among the crew aboard the AFRAMAX RIO.
Marine Tanks | Voice Of Sea
Black Sea Maritime Security Update
@dgshipping_IN @MEAIndia @sarbanandsonwal @PMOIndia @IndiainUkraineAdvertisement#AFRAMAXRIO #BlackSea #Sochi #Russia #Ukraine #MaritimeSecurity #TankerFire #OilTanker #CrudeOilTanker #DroneAttack #MaritimeNews #ShippingNews #Seafarers #IndianSeafarers #MerchantNavy #MerchantNavyNews #BlackSeaSecurity #MarineTanks #VoiceOfSea #MaritimeIndustry #ShippingIndustry #IMO9273844 #AIS #SeafarersNews #BreakingNews
— Marine Tanks (Voice of Sea) (@MarineTanksInd) October 6, 2026
The top priority was to evacuate the crew. All 23 seafarers, all Indian nationals, were rescued, and no injuries were reported.
The intensity of the fire initially made it difficult for rescue teams to approach the vessel. Russian authorities reported that they had the necessary resources to respond to the incident as soon as conditions allowed for a safe approach to the tanker. It was later reported that the fire had been brought under control.
The attack on the Rio is particularly significant as it confirms that the threat to commercial shipping in the Black Sea is no longer limited to port facilities and infrastructure. Merchant ships involved in Russian oil exports are increasingly finding themselves in the zone of military operations.
Further confirmation that the month-long pause in Ukrainian attacks on merchant vessels in the Black Sea has clearly ended.
AdvertisementAn Aframax tanker, AFRAMAX RIO (~100K mt DWT), fully loaded with oil bound for India, was reportedly struck near Sochi this afternoon.
#oatt #sizovreport #wheat #blacksea
— Andrey Sizov (@sizov_andre) October 6, 2026
In recent years, the Rio has been associated with the transport of Russian oil from ports in the Baltic and Black Seas to Asian markets. In February 2026, the Rio was added by Kyiv to Ukraine’s sanctions list of ships that Ukraine characterizes as part of the Russian “shadow fleet.”
So far, however, Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack on the Rio. Therefore, Ukrainian involvement cannot be considered confirmed, despite the fact that the incident comes amid a period of increased attacks on ships serving the Russian oil trade.
Source: Proto Thema
