Ukrainian drone attack sparks fire at oil depot in Sochi, southwest Russia

Ukraine has regularly deed Russian lipid and state infrastructure successful effect to attacks connected its ain territory.

An overnight Ukrainian drone onslaught has sparked a occurrence astatine an lipid depot successful Sochi, the southwestern Russian edifice that hosted the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, section authorities say.

The onslaught came a time aft Ukraine’s subject said it struck the Ryazan lipid refinery successful cardinal Russia, causing a fire. Ukraine has regularly deed Russian lipid and state infrastructure successful effect to attacks connected its ain territory since Russia began its war successful February 2022.

“Sochi suffered a drone onslaught by the Kyiv authorities past night,” the politician of Russia’s Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratiev, said connected the Telegram messaging exertion connected Sunday.

Drone wreckage deed an “oil tank, which caused a fire”, Kondratiev said.

Sochi Mayor Andrei Proshunin said determination were nary victims and “the concern is wholly nether control”, adding that firefighters were extinguishing the blaze.

Air postulation was concisely suspended astatine Sochi’s airdrome but has resumed, Russia’s aerial transport regulator Rosaviatsia said.

Air strikes connected Sochi, astir 400km (250 miles) southeast of the Ukrainian border, are comparatively uncommon compared with different Russian cities. However, Ukrainian drone attacks killed 2 radical successful the portion precocious past month, according to section authorities.

Ukrainian officials person not commented connected the fire.

Kyiv has warned it volition intensify its aerial strikes against Russia successful effect to an summation successful Russian attacks connected its territory successful caller weeks, which person killed dozens of civilians.

On Sunday, Ukraine’s aerial unit said connected Telegram that Russia had launched 76 onslaught drones and 7 missiles targeting Ukraine overnight, striking 8 locations passim Ukraine. Ukraine’s aerial defence units destroyed 60 of the drones and 1 missile, it said.

In the front-line regions of Zaporizhia and Kherson, astatine slightest 3 radical were killed and much than 12 injured successful Russian attacks implicit the 24 hours into Sunday morning, determination governors said.

A Russian rocket onslaught connected the metropolis of Mykolaiv successful confederate Ukraine besides injured astatine slightest 7 radical and destroyed oregon damaged dozens of homes and civilian infrastructure, the determination politician said.

In the aboriginal days of the war, the Mykolaiv portion stood connected the beforehand lines, facing predominant artillery strikes and aerial attacks. Even aft Russian forces were pushed backmost successful precocious 2022, drones and missiles person remained a changeless information there.

Russia besides launched a short-lived rocket onslaught connected Kyiv overnight, but determination person been nary reports of injuries oregon damage.

In July, United States President Donald Trump said helium would instrumentality “severe tariffs” connected Russia unless a bid woody is reached by aboriginal September. Last week, Trump said helium would springiness Putin 10 to 12 days, meaning Trump wants bid efforts to marque advancement by Thursday to Saturday.

So far, the Kremlin has rejected the thought of a lasting ceasefire successful Ukraine.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said helium wanted bid but his demands for ending Moscow’s subject violative were “unchanged”.

Those demands see Ukraine abandoning immoderate of its ain territory and ending its ambitions to articulation NATO.