SOCHI, Russia (BN24) — A Ukrainian drone strike ignited a fire at an oil depot in the Russian resort city of Sochi early Sunday, prompting a massive emergency response, according to regional authorities.
More than 120 firefighters were deployed to combat the blaze, which broke out at a fuel storage facility in Sochi’s Adler district, said Krasnodar regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev on Telegram. The fire erupted after a drone, reportedly launched by Ukraine, struck a tank containing up to 2,000 cubic meters (roughly 70,000 cubic feet) of fuel, Russia’s RIA news agency reported, citing emergency officials.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said its air defenses shot down 93 Ukrainian drones overnight, including one in the Krasnodar region and 60 over the Black Sea. However, the ministry did not provide an estimate of how many drones Ukraine had launched.
The attack led to a temporary suspension of flights at Sochi International Airport, as Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, halted operations to ensure safety. Flights resumed by 0200 GMT, the agency said.
Ukraine has not commented publicly on the strike, and Reuters noted it could not independently verify the Russian accounts.
The Adler district, where the depot is located, had previously been the site of a deadly drone attack in June that killed one woman. Sochi, host of the 2014 Winter Olympics and a key Black Sea port city, has remained largely untouched by the conflict since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, the Krasnodar region has seen escalating drone strikes, particularly on the Ilsky refinery near Krasnodar city, a critical target in Ukraine’s campaign to degrade Russia’s fuel infrastructure.
In a separate incident Sunday, the governor of Russia’s Voronezh region reported that four people were injured in a Ukrainian drone strike that sparked several fires. Meanwhile, Kyiv authorities said the Ukrainian capital came under Russian missile attack, although there were no immediate details on damage or casualties.
The intensifying air and drone campaigns on both sides underscore the deepening use of long-range strikes far from the front lines, as each side targets infrastructure deemed vital to the other’s war effort.
