Ukraine drone strike sparks fire at Russian oil depot near Sochi

(Web Desk): A Ukrainian drone strike ignited a fire at a major oil depot near the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi, prompting flight suspensions at a nearby airport. Russian authorities have confirmed the incident.

According to a BBC News report, Krasnodar region’s governor, Veniamin Kondratyev, stated on Telegram that the drone debris struck a fuel tank, and 127 firefighters are currently working to extinguish the blaze.

Meanwhile, in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, a Russian missile strike damaged homes and civilian infrastructure.

Local officials reported that at least seven civilians were injured, and Ukraine’s State Emergency Service confirmed that **three of them were hospitalized.

Russian authorities stated that the drone strike on the Sochi refinery was part of a series of attacks launched by Ukraine over the weekend, targeting facilities in southern Russian cities such as Ryazan, Penza, and Voronezh. The governor of Voronezh reported that four people were injured in one of the drone strikes.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed that its air defense systems intercepted 93 Ukrainian drones overnight, 60 of which were in the Black Sea region.

According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched 76–83 drones and 7 missiles overnight, of which 61 were shot down. However, 16 drones and 6 missiles hit targets across eight locations.

These escalations follow a deadly week for Ukrainian civilians.

On Thursday, a Russian attack on Kyiv killed at least 31 people, making it the deadliest strike on the capital since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

Ukrainian officials said that more than 300 drones and 8 cruise missiles were launched during that assault.

In response to the attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for tougher international sanctions against Russia.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine and hinted at new sanctions against Moscow.

In July, Trump had warned that Putin had 50 days to end the war, or face heavy tariffs on oil and other exports. On Monday, Trump issued a new 10-to-12-day ultimatum, later revising the deadline to August 8.