Naval drone hits oil tanker off Russian resort city Sochi, triggering massive blaze

Video released on social media shows smoke rising from a tanker that caught fire after coming under attack in the Black Sea off Sochi, in Russia. Composite: Social media via Reuters

An oil tanker off Russia’s Black Sea coast was struck by a naval drone, triggering a huge fire and black smoke cloud that blanketed parts of the resort city of Sochi, Russia’s transport ministry has said.

The transport ministry said a Liberian-flagged tanker had been attacked and that “crude oil is burning openly in the waters of the Black Sea”.