Ukrainian Drone Attack Ignites Fire at Sochi Oil Depot
A Ukrainian drone attack led to a significant fire at an oil depot in the Russian city of Sochi, according to regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev. More than 120 firefighters were deployed to combat the blaze, which erupted early on Sunday morning. The incident occurred in the Adler district of the city, part of the Krasnodar region on the Black Sea.
Emergency officials reported that a fuel tank with a capacity of 2,000 cubic meters (approximately 70,000 cubic feet) was engulfed in flames. The Russian defense ministry, in its daily update via Telegram, stated that its air defense units had destroyed 93 Ukrainian drones overnight, including one in the Krasnodar region and another 60 over the Black Sea. The ministry’s reports focus on the number of drones intercepted, without providing details on how many were launched by Ukraine.
In response to the situation, Rosaviatsia, Russia’s civil aviation authority, temporarily suspended flights at Sochi’s airport to maintain air safety. Flights resumed at 0200 GMT on Sunday (10 p.m. ET, Saturday), following the immediate threat.
This drone strike is part of a broader pattern where Ukraine targets infrastructure within Russia that it identifies as crucial to Moscow’s military efforts. While attacks on Sochi have been infrequent since the onset of the war in February 2022, there was a previous incident in which a woman was killed in the same district in a drone attack late last month.
The Krasnodar region is also home to the Ilsky refinery, one of the largest refineries in southern Russia and a frequent target of Ukrainian drone strikes.
In a related development, the governor of the Voronezh region in southern Russia reported that four individuals sustained injuries from another Ukrainian drone strike that resulted in multiple fires. Concurrently, Russia launched a missile attack on Kyiv, as confirmed by the military administration of the Ukrainian capital. The Russian defense ministry indicated that its units had destroyed 18 Ukrainian drones over Voronezh, further highlighting the ongoing hostilities between the two nations.
The situation remains dynamic, with both sides engaged in a continued exchange of aerial attacks and defensive measures as the conflict persists.
