Drones hit Russian oil tanker ablaze in Rostov-on-Don port, the ship is sinking (UPDATED, MAP)

Two Russian crew members died, and three others were injured after an aerial drone attack ignited a fire on an oil tanker moored at the port of Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia, according to local authorities. The fire followed a wave of explosions reported in the city and nearby Bataysk and Taganrog overnight on 18 December 2025.

Drone strike kills crew members aboard tanker in Rostov-on-Don

A drone attack struck the southern Russian port city of Rostov-on-Don overnight on 18 December 2025, setting a tanker ablaze and allegedly killing two of its crew. Local officials confirmed the fire and casualties early morning, following widespread reports of explosions from residents and local Telegram channels in Rostov, Bataysk, and Taganrog.

The governor of Rostov Oblast, Yurii Sliusar, claimed a cargo vessel caught fire during the drone strike and that two crew members died while three others were injured. He stated the blaze, which covered 20 square meters, was extinguished by 5:21 a.m. 

Mayor Oleksandr Skriabin of Rostov later confirmed that the fire had broken out aboard a tanker moored near the western residential area of the city. He said emergency services were working to extinguish the blaze and added that, according to preliminary information, there was no fuel spill. Skriabin also acknowledged that there were dead and injured crew members on the vessel.

Valeriy Gorchakov

The Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ reported that the tanker hit in the attack was likely the Valeriy Gorchakov, a ship originally built in 1969 as a dry cargo motor vessel. It was converted into an oil tanker in 2004 under project 156ST/5009 to transport oil products of all types. The channel also posted video clips from the night, suggesting that either jet-propelled drones or missiles had been used, based on the engine sounds featured in the videos.

Russia's oil tanker Valery Gorchakov has been in Rostov's port since its arrival on 13 December 2025, according to tracking data. Source: Supernova+.

Observers in Bataysk, located several kilometers south of Rostov city, said explosions left part of the city without electricity. According to local reports, a fire broke out in a residential building in Bataysk, situated just 160 meters from an electric substation and 400 meters from a local police office.

The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that three Ukrainian drones were allegedly shot down over Rostov Oblast during the night.

Update: Tanker began sinking after strike near oil terminal

In the afternoon, Astra reported, citing OSINT analysis and photographs it obtained, that the Russian shadow fleet's tanker Valery Gorchakov damaged in the Rostov-on-Don port began taking on water near the oil transshipment terminal of the Novoshakhtinsk Petroleum Products Plant. The ship's cook and a mechanic were reportedly killed. The first mate and two sailors were injured.

Astra’s OSINT analysis placed the tanker next to the Novoshakhtinsk terminal in Rostov city. The channel noted that the same area was attacked three days earlier, on 15 December, when a fire broke out roughly 850 meters from the tanker damaged overnight.

The outlet reported structural damage to the vessel, including breaches in the hull, damage to the wheelhouse, and holes in the engine and steering compartments, followed by a fire onboard.

The tanker is under sanctions imposed by the US, EU, UK, Canada, and Switzerland. According to Ukraine’s military intelligence, the vessel previously entered ports in Russian-occupied territories.