- All 23 Indian crew rescued unhurt after tanker attacked near Sochi
- Russia says drone boats targeted the Liberia-flagged vessel
- Oil fire too intense for firefighting to begin immediately
- India expresses "grave concern" over attacks on shipping
TWENTY-THREE Indian crew members have been rescued after a Liberia-flagged oil tanker was attacked by drone boats off Russia's Black Sea coast, Russian authorities said.
"The crew has been saved and evacuated to shore," a spokesman for the Russian transport ministry told the state-run TASS news agency.
The ministry said the tanker, the Aframax Rio, was attacked on Tuesday by unmanned surface vessels near Sochi, the Russian resort city. According to preliminary information, none of the crew was hurt.
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Fire too intense to tackle
The attack left oil burning on the sea's surface, and the fire was so intense that firefighting could not begin immediately, TASS reported. Rescue vessels can only approach the tanker safely once the flames die down.
Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin chaired an emergency meeting on dealing with the aftermath.
Sochi Mayor Andrey Proshunin temporarily closed the city's beaches and sea embankments as a precaution.
"Sochi residents and guests are kindly requested not to expose to risks and wait for an official decision regarding their reopening," he wrote on his Telegram channel.
India's 'grave concern'
The attack came two days after at least two people were killed and several crew members, including an Indian national, were injured when a Russian drone strike set fire to a Turkish-owned cargo vessel in the Black Sea.
India's Ministry of External Affairs said it viewed the attacks on commercial shipping and seafarers with grave concern.
Asian seafarers fear return to Gulf
"The targeting of traffic in international waterways is severely undermining global commerce and welfare of people across the world," it said. "We continue to call for dialogue and diplomacy to bring an end to the ongoing conflicts."
The Black Sea is a key global trade route that has faced severe disruption from attacks on shipping and ports during the Russia-Ukraine war.
On Sunday, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said India had stepped up efforts in recent months to help resolve the conflict, engaging with both Kyiv and Moscow.
(With inputs from PTI)
