MOSCOW, Aug 3: An overnight Ukrainian drone strike ignited a massive fire at a Russian oil depot near the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, according to Russian officials. Krasnodar regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said the fire began when debris from a downed drone hit a fuel tank. Over 120 firefighters were deployed to control the blaze. Social media footage showed towering smoke plumes rising from the site, and flights at Sochi airport were temporarily halted by Rosaviatsia, Russia’s civil aviation authority.
Elsewhere, four people were injured in a separate Ukrainian drone attack in the Voronezh region. Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed its air defenses shot down 93 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory and the Black Sea during the night.
Ukraine also faced heavy bombardment. A Russian missile hit a residential area in Mykolaiv, wounding seven people. According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched 76 drones and seven missiles overnight. Of these, 60 drones and one missile were intercepted, while the rest struck eight locations across Ukraine.
These latest reciprocal attacks follow one of the deadliest weeks in Ukraine in months. A Russian missile and drone barrage last Thursday killed 31 people, including five children, and injured more than 150.
Amid escalating violence, U.S. President Donald Trump has set an August 8 deadline for peace negotiations to progress. He announced that envoy Steve Witkoff would travel to Russia to push for a ceasefire and warned of potential new sanctions should talks stall.
The ongoing hostilities highlight deepening tensions and the urgent need for diplomatic resolution. (AP)
