Drone submarine attack sets oil tanker ablaze off Russia's Sochi
A large fire broke out on an oil tanker off the Russian coast in the Black Sea on Tuesday evening after an attack that Moscow said was carried out by "drone submarines", and its 23 crew members were rescued. Russia's transport ministry said the Liberian-flagged tanker was attacked off Sochi, causing crude oil to burn in the Black Sea, and that the intensity of the flames hindered efforts to control the fire. The ministry said the crew, all Indian nationals, were rescued with no injuries recorded; Russia blamed Ukraine for the attack, while the available text contained no direct Ukrainian comment on the targeting of the tanker.
Why it matters: The strike adds to repeated attacks on shipping and energy-related facilities in the Black Sea since the February 2022 war began, a pattern that falls under the briefing's maritime security and energy infrastructure theme.