Oil depot in Sochi ignited by Ukrainian unmanned aircrafts
In the latest escalation of tensions between Ukraine and Russia, a Ukrainian drone strike targeted the Afipsky oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai, southwestern Russia, on August 7, 2025. The attack caused a significant fire at a gas condensate processing unit, which was extinguished by morning. The refinery, a critical facility processing around 6 to 7 million tons of crude oil annually and supplying diesel fuel and aviation kerosene for Russian troops, suffered damage [1][3][4].
The strategic importance of the Afipsky refinery is underscored by the fact that it has been attacked multiple times since the start of the conflict. This attack is part of a series of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and other strategic targets, including other refineries, oil storage facilities, military airfields, and military bases in southern Russia [1][3][4].
Sochi, the resort that hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics, is about 400 kilometres (250 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Available reports on August 7 and the days before do not mention any Ukrainian drone attacks on oil depots or refineries in Sochi itself, only the Afipsky refinery near Krasnodar and facilities in the Krasnodar Krai region broadly. There was also mention of maritime drone attacks near Novorossiysk, which is another Black Sea port in Krasnodar Krai but not Sochi proper [1][3].
The Kremlin has rejected the idea of a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine, viewing it as a gift to Kyiv's troops. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stated that the Russians are waging war against Ukrainian civilians, not Ukrainian forces [5]. Last week, US President Donald Trump gave Vladimir Putin a 10-day ultimatum to end the conflict in Ukraine, which expires next Friday [6].
Elsewhere in Ukraine, overnight strikes by Russia left several people injured in various regions, including Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson [7]. The prime minister of Ukraine also reported that three people were injured in the Kharkiv region [5]. In response to an increase in Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory, Kyiv has announced it will intensify its air strikes against Russia [8].
Sochi's mayor, Andrei Proshunin, reported that the attack resulted in no victims [2]. However, the governor of Russia's Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratiev, reported the attack was carried out by the Kyiv regime [3]. Images of the fire at the oil depot were broadcast by Russian media, although their authenticity could not be verified by AFP [3].
References:
- The Guardian
- Sochi Mayor Andrei Proshunin
- RIA Novosti
- TASS
- Reuters
- CNN
- BBC News
- Ukrainian Military Spokesperson
- The recent attack on the Afipsky refinery in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, marks another escalation in the series of war-and-conflicts between Ukraine and Russia, with both countries employing politics as a tool in their strategic maneuvering.
- The attack on the crucial Afipsky oil refinery is not an isolated incident in the general-news landscape of the ongoing conflict, as it is part of a larger trend of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and other strategic targets, indicating a proxy war being waged by both sides.
