A Ukrainian drone attack on an oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar region near Sochi triggered a massive fire early Sunday, escalating tensions in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev reported that debris from a downed drone struck a 2,000-cubic-meter fuel tank in the Adler district, sparking a blaze that required over 120 firefighters to contain. Social media footage showed towering flames and thick black smoke billowing from the site, disrupting operations at Sochi’s airport, with flights temporarily halted by Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, before resuming at 0200 GMT.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted 93 Ukrainian drones overnight, including one over Krasnodar and 60 over the Black Sea, though it did not specify the total number launched. Concurrently, a Ukrainian drone strike in Russia’s Voronezh region injured four people and caused multiple fires, according to local governor Alexander Gusev, with 18 drones reportedly destroyed.
In retaliation, Russia launched a missile strike on Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine, injuring seven civilians and damaging 23 private homes, 12 apartment buildings, and a post office, as reported by regional governor Vitaliy Kim. Ukraine’s air force stated that Russia fired 76 drones and seven missiles overnight, with 60 drones and one missile intercepted, but 16 drones and six missiles hit targets across eight locations.
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The strikes follow a deadly Russian attack on Kyiv on July 31, 2025, which killed 31 people, including five children. Amid escalating violence, US President Donald Trump has shortened a peace negotiation deadline for Russia to August 8, dispatching envoy Steve Witkoff to push for a ceasefire, with threats of new sanctions if progress stalls.
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