Ukrainian drone strike sparks fire at Sochi oil depot

Sunday 03 August 2025 - 10:45

A Ukrainian drone attack triggered a fire at an oil storage facility in Sochi, a resort city in southwestern Russia known for hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics. Local authorities confirmed the incident on Sunday, noting there were no casualties.

The governor of Russia’s Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratiev, announced on Telegram that debris from a Ukrainian drone hit a fuel reservoir, causing the fire. During the night, over 120 firefighters worked to extinguish the flames. Sochi's mayor, Andrei Prokhorin, later assured that the situation was “fully under control,” though efforts continued to completely suppress the blaze.

Footage shared by Russian media—though unverified by AFP—showed towering flames and thick black smoke rising into the sky.

The incident briefly suspended air traffic at Sochi Airport, according to Rosaviatsia, Russia's air transport authority, but flights soon resumed. Drone strikes on Sochi, located over 500 km from the Ukrainian front lines, remain uncommon, although a previous attack in late July killed two people.

Kyiv has not commented on the latest fire but has repeatedly warned it will escalate strikes deep into Russian territory in retaliation for intensified Russian bombings in Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed it intercepted three additional Ukrainian drones in the Leningrad region, near St. Petersburg.

Meanwhile, Ukraine suffered a fresh wave of Russian strikes overnight. A missile hit a residential neighborhood in Mykolaiv, injuring seven, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. Additional injuries were reported in the Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.

“Russia continues to wage war not against the Ukrainian military, but against Ukrainian civilians,” Svyrydenko said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has given Russian President Vladimir Putin a 10-day ultimatum, ending Friday, to cease hostilities in Ukraine. However, the Kremlin has refused a long-term ceasefire, citing strategic disadvantages for Russian forces. Despite growing frustration from Washington, the conflict continues with unabated violence.