Ships with Indian, Turkish crews catch fire in Kerch Strait, 11 dead
Moscow, Jan 22 : Two ships carrying Indian, Turkish and Libyan crew members have caught fire in the Kerch Strait separating Crimea from Russia, killing at least 11 persons, media reports said on Tuesday.
The fire broke out on Monday off Russia's territorial waters. Both vessels were flying Tanzanian flags. One of them was a liquefied natural gas carrier and another one was a tanker. The fire broke out as the two ships were transferring fuel from one to the other.
One of the ships, the Candy, had a 17-member crew, including nine Turkish citizens and eight Indian nationals.
The other one, the Maestro, had 15-member crew, including seven Turkish nationals, seven Indian citizens and an intern from Libya, Russian news agency Tass quoted maritime authority as saying.
At least 11 sailors have died, Russian Maritime Agency said was quoted by RT news, a Russian television network.
"Presumably, an explosion occurred (on one of the vessels). Then the fire spread to another vessel. A rescue tug is en route," said a spokesman for the Russian Maritime Agency.
Some three dozen sailors managed to escape the burning ships by jumping off the vessels.
Twelve persons have so far been rescued from the sea. Nine sailors are still listed as missing, the spokesperson said.
Severe weather conditions at sea have prevented rescue ships from taking victims to the shore for medical treatment, the report added.
The Kerch Strait is a key waterway that holds strategic importance for both Russia and Ukraine. It is an important economic lifeline for Ukraine that allows ships leaving the port city of Mariupol to access the Black Sea.
It's also the the closest point of access for Russia to Crimea, a peninsula Moscow annexed in 2014. A Russian-built bridge over the Kerch Strait opened in May last year.
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Indian Army transports heavy armour to Kashmir Valley via Military Special Train
Srinagar: The Indian Army on Wednesday transported tanks and artillery systems into the Kashmir Valley via Military Special Train, enhancing its operational readiness and marking a key advancement in defence logistics throughout the northern borders.
The exercise involved the train-based transfer of heavy military armour, which included the tanks, the artillery guns, and the dozers, from the Jammu region to Anantnag. In the statement shared on social media platform X, the Army writes:
"Enhancing Capabilities Along the Borders
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The #IndianArmy achieved a major logistics milestone on 16 December 2025 with the induction of tanks and artillery guns into the Kashmir Valley by a Military Special Train. As part of the validation exercise, tanks, artillery guns and dozers were successfully moved from the Jammu Region to #Anantnag, #Kashmir demonstrating enhanced mobility and logistical capability.
This milestone was achieved in close coordination with
@RailMinIndia, underscoring the transformative impact of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project in enabling rapid logistics build-up and strengthening operational readiness along the Northern Borders."
Emphasising the strategic importance of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link, the Army noted that the corridor has redefined logistical capabilities by enabling faster, more reliable movement of troops and equipment into the Valley, thereby reinforcing operational readiness in the region.
Enhancing Capabilities Along the Borders
— PRO Defence Jammu (@prodefencejammu) December 17, 2025
The #IndianArmy achieved a major logistics milestone on 16 December 2025 with the induction of tanks and artillery guns into the Kashmir Valley by a Military Special Train. As part of the validation exercise, tanks, artillery guns and… pic.twitter.com/c83wGTMsa0
