A massive fire erupted at an oil depot near the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi after what Moscow described as an overnight Ukrainian drone attack, highlighting the escalating cross-border strikes in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Krasnodar region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev confirmed that debris from a downed drone struck a fuel tank, sparking a large blaze.
About 127 firefighters were deployed to tackle the flames, and the fire was eventually brought under control. The incident briefly disrupted operations at Sochi International Airport, the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, before flights resumed.
Russian authorities reported that the Sochi strike was part of a wider wave of Ukrainian drone assaults over the weekend, targeting energy infrastructure and military facilities deep inside Russian territory.
Installations in Ryazan, Penza, and Voronezh were also attacked, with the Voronezh governor reporting four injuries. Russia’s defense ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted 93 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 60 over the Black Sea region.
Ukraine, which rarely comments on such strikes, has increasingly targeted Russian energy infrastructure in retaliation for Moscow’s ongoing bombardment of Ukrainian power grids throughout the war.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched between 76 and 83 drones and missiles in overnight attacks, of which 61 were shot down, while 16 drones and six missiles hit targets in eight locations.
Meanwhile, southern Ukraine faced renewed devastation from Russian strikes. In Kherson, the key Ostrivsky bridge linking the Korabel island district to the mainland was heavily damaged again on Sunday morning, prompting regional head Oleksandr Prokudin to call for partial evacuation of the area, where approximately 1,800 residents remain. The bridge had already suffered damage from Russian attacks earlier in the week.
Nearby Mykolaiv also endured heavy bombardment, leaving seven people injured and several homes destroyed. Local authorities reported that one man was killed in Kherson, adding to the civilian toll. Ukrainian officials said Russian strikes on Saturday had already claimed seven lives in the Kherson and Donetsk regions.
These attacks followed a particularly deadly week for Ukraine. On Thursday, a massive Russian assault on Kyiv killed at least 31 people and was described by Ukrainian officials as one of the capital’s deadliest bombardments since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. More than 300 drones and eight cruise missiles were launched during that attack.
International reactions to the latest escalation were swift. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed calls for stronger sanctions against Russia.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump condemned Moscow’s actions, suggesting that new sanctions targeting Russian oil and exports were imminent.
Trump previously warned Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war or face severe economic penalties, and he recently set a revised deadline of August 8.
The surge in attacks underscores the intensifying tit-for-tat strikes between Ukraine and Russia, as energy infrastructure and strategic crossings become central targets in the third year of the war.