Ukrainian Drone Attack Causes Fire at Sochi Oil Depot Amid Rising Tensions

A drone attack originating from Ukraine ignited a fire at an oil storage facility in Sochi, a Russian resort city located approximately 400 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. This incident is part of Ukraine's ongoing efforts to strike Russian energy infrastructure in retaliation for Russian military actions since the invasion began in February 2022. Veniamin Kondratiev, governor of Russia's Krasnodar region, reported via Telegram that Ukrainian drones targeted Sochi overnight, damaging an oil tank and causing a blaze. Local officials confirmed that no casualties occurred, and the fire was extinguished hours later. Russian media footage depicted large flames and heavy black smoke at the site; however, the authenticity of these images could not be independently verified by AFP. The attack temporarily halted air traffic at Sochi airport, according to Russia's civil aviation authority. Ukrainian authorities have yet to comment publicly on the incident. While attacks on Sochi are infrequent compared to other Russian cities, Ukrainian drone strikes there previously resulted in two fatalities last month. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced ongoing negotiations with Rus...