Drone Attacks Spark Oil Depot Fire in Sochi as Russia-Ukraine Strikes Intensify

A major fire broke out at an oil depot near Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi after what Russian officials claim was a Ukrainian drone strike. The incident has forced the nearby airport to suspend all flights.

Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev confirmed that falling drone debris hit a fuel tank, and 127 firefighters have been deployed to contain the blaze.

At the same time, a Russian missile strike hit the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, destroying homes and infrastructure. Seven civilians were reportedly injured, with three receiving treatment in hospital, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.

Russian authorities say the Sochi attack was part of a wider wave of Ukrainian drone assaults over the weekend, targeting oil and infrastructure sites in Ryazan, Penza, and Voronezh. In Voronezh, a drone strike injured four people.

Russia’s defense ministry claims to have intercepted 93 Ukrainian drones overnight, with 60 reportedly shot down over the Black Sea region. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 83 weapons (including drones and missiles), and they shot down 61. However, 16 drones and six missiles did hit targets across eight locations.

These recent strikes come after a deadly week in Ukraine, including a missile attack in Kyiv last Thursday that killed at least 31 people. Ukrainian officials say the assault involved over 300 drones and eight cruise missiles, one of the largest attacks on the capital since the war began in February 2022.

In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for tougher international sanctions on Russia. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump condemned Russia’s aggression and hinted that new sanctions could be announced soon. He had earlier warned Russia of severe tariffs if the war doesn't end, recently giving a new deadline of August 8.