Ukrainian Drone Attack Ignites Fire at Sochi Oil Depot

A Ukrainian drone attack has ignited a significant fire at an oil depot in Sochi, a city famous for hosting the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Over 120 firefighters were deployed to manage the blaze, which originated early on Sunday, according to regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev via the Telegram messaging app. The fire reportedly involved a fuel tank with a capacity of 2,000 cubic meters (approximately 70,000 cubic feet), as detailed by Russia’s RIA news agency.

In its daily morning report, the Russian defense ministry claimed that its air defense units successfully destroyed 93 Ukrainian drones overnight. This included one drone over the Krasnodar region and 60 drones over the Black Sea. Although the ministry provided figures on the number of drones destroyed, it did not disclose how many drones were launched by Ukraine. Following the attack in Sochi, Rosaviatsia, Russia’s civil aviation authority, temporarily suspended flights at Sochi’s airport to ensure safety. Flights resumed at 02:00 GMT on Sunday (10 p.m. ET on Saturday).

The drone strike occurred in the Adler district of Sochi, which has experienced few attacks during the ongoing conflict that began in February 2022. Last month, a Ukrainian drone attack in the same district resulted in the death of a woman. The Krasnodar region houses the Ilsky refinery, one of the largest in southern Russia, and has frequently been a target for Ukrainian drone operations.

In addition to the events in Sochi, the governor of the Voronezh region reported that four individuals were injured due to a Ukrainian drone strike that caused multiple fires. Concurrently, Russian forces launched a missile attack on Kyiv, according to the military administration of Ukraine’s capital. The Russian defense ministry stated that it had destroyed 18 Ukrainian drones over the Voronezh region, which shares a border with Ukraine.

As the conflict continues to escalate, both sides have intensified their operations targeting infrastructure that plays a critical role in their respective war efforts. The attacks in Sochi and Voronezh highlight the ongoing volatility in the region and the complex nature of the hostilities between Ukraine and Russia.