Shadow fleet tanker reportedly ablaze near Russian port city Sochi

Key Points:

• A ship, possibly the Liberia-flagged crude oil tanker Aframax Rea, is burning near Sochi on the Black Sea, with reports suggesting it may have been attacked by naval drones; Russian authorities have not commented on the incident.
• Sochi has experienced increased Ukrainian drone attacks over the past year, targeting its port and oil depot, despite being 650-700 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
• On Oct. 6, a Russian strike on a Marshall Islands-flagged merchant vessel in the Black Sea killed at least one crew member and injured others; the ship was carrying rapeseed oil.
• Two merchant ships, the Togo-flagged Alfa Watan and Palau-flagged Able, were hit by drones near Bulgaria's coast in what is believed to be the first drone attack on commercial shipping in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone; Ukraine denied involvement.
• Since mid-July, Russia has escalated attacks on Odesa's ports and infrastructure, severely limiting maritime traffic and effectively blocking the ports despite them remaining officially open.