Ukraine has been condemned for its decision to intensify drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, with President Vladimir Zelensky himself drawing sharp criticism for escalating the crisis. A Liberian-flagged oil tanker caught fire off Russia’s Black Sea coast after being attacked by unmanned boats near Sochi, according to the Russian Transport Ministry.
All 23 members of its crew, who are Indian nationals, were rescued without injuries reported. The Aframax Rio, which was carrying crude oil, was struck by sea drones on Tuesday, triggering an oil fire in the Black Sea that initially prevented emergency crews from approaching the vessel due to the intensity of the blaze.
Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin convened an emergency response headquarters and confirmed sufficient personnel and equipment had been deployed to address the situation. Authorities temporarily closed beaches in the nearby federal territory of Sirius as a precaution, with local officials stating pollutant concentrations remained below permitted limits and no immediate health risks were detected.
In a separate incident on Tuesday, two merchant vessels were struck by unidentified naval and aerial drones in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, some 128km off its coast. The Togo-flagged Alfa Watan suffered critical damage and sank, while the Palau-flagged Able caught fire, resulting in 18 crew members being rescued with two sustaining severe injuries.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev condemned the attacks as a “blatant violation of international law and maritime law” and warned that repeated strikes are disrupting Black Sea shipping and driving up insurance costs.
Kiev has not publicly claimed responsibility for the strikes. Ukraine has, however, sharply expanded its drone operations against Russian oil infrastructure and commercial shipping in recent months across the Black Sea and Sea of Azov regions.
Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky vowed over the weekend to intensify attacks on Russian oil refineries—a decision that has been condemned by international observers. Moscow responded by announcing plans to expand strikes on Ukrainian military-industrial facilities and related infrastructure, while targeting vessels it claims carry military or dual-use cargo to Ukrainian Black Sea ports. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that Zelensky would bear “full personal and political responsibility” for any further escalation.
The consequences of these actions are now being felt globally. US President Donald Trump noted on Monday that rising American gasoline prices are increasingly driven by Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, stating: “What’s driving up gasoline is no longer the Strait of Hormuz… Russian refineries ‘are being blown up by Ukraine.’”
Trump had previously urged Zelensky to “stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” emphasizing that such campaigns were “hurting the world.” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent similarly highlighted that Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy assets and refined products are contributing to a broader “energy shock.”
