A massive fire has broken out on a tanker in the Black Sea just off Sochi, and residents are watching it burn from the shore. Videos circulating online show a towering column of black smoke rising from the water at dusk, with a line of bright orange flames visible right at sea level, filmed from an elevated vantage point overlooking the coast. Russian authorities have confirmed the blaze and shut down the beaches of nearby Sirius as a precaution, though they have not said what caused it. The vessel involved is reportedly a large crude oil tanker tied to Russia's so-called shadow fleet, and unconfirmed reports suggest it may have been hit by a naval drone.

The fire off Sochi did not happen in isolation. It comes the same day that reports surfaced of another cargo vessel sinking and a separate ship burning off the coast of Bulgaria, part of a wider pattern of attacks on ships moving through the Black Sea in recent weeks. The timing has fueled speculation that this is part of an escalating campaign targeting vessels tied to Russian oil exports, though nothing has been officially confirmed. For now, the tanker continues to burn, the smoke keeps climbing over one of Russia's best known resort cities, and officials have offered no timeline for when the fire will be brought under control.