A tanker caught fire in the waters off Sochi, BFM.ru reported on Tuesday, with smoke from the blaze reaching the city quickly. The same report said two other vessels were attacked off the coast of Bulgaria.
Authorities in Sochi closed the city's beaches because of the fire, according to Novaya Gazeta. The Sirius resort area also temporarily shut its beaches over the burning tanker in the Black Sea, Forbes.ru reported.
The Insider identified the vessel as an oil tanker belonging to the so-called "shadow fleet" and reported that it had not appeared in ship-tracking services in recent weeks.
The incident drew coverage from multiple independent outlets within hours. Radio Svoboda reported that a large fire broke out aboard the tanker near the Sochi coastline, while Novaya Gazeta noted that the smoke plume traveled to the city rapidly.
The reports place the fire in Russian waters and the two additional attacks near Bulgarian shores, though BFM.ru did not provide further details on the vessels involved or the nature of the attacks.
What to watch next: whether officials confirm the cause of the fire, report on the condition of the tanker's crew, or release details about the two ships reportedly attacked near Bulgaria.
