A recent drone attack carried out by Ukraine on Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse ignited a fire at the city’s oil terminal, marking the fourth such incident in a short span. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries as a result of the attack, according to local officials on Friday.
The repeated attacks have caused significant disruptions to the daily life of residents in the town located approximately 1,300 kilometers south of Moscow. Authorities responded by closing schools and advising residents to minimize outdoor activities and avoid consuming tap water.
The general headquarters in the Krasnodar Region stated via Telegram that the fire at the seaport terminal was a result of the drone strike by the Kyiv regime. Emergency response teams, comprised of 128 firefighters and 41 emergency vehicles, were swiftly deployed to contain the blaze.
Since the initial attack on Tuesday that caused a massive fire at the terminal, leading to production halts and oil spills in the adjacent waters, the region has been under a state of emergency. While the fire from the earlier strike was extinguished by Thursday morning, the environmental impact on Tuapse, including oil-contaminated beaches, polluted air, and waterways, remains evident.
In response to the crisis, emergency workers have been actively cleaning up oil-affected areas along the coast, with a total of 12,600 cubic meters of contaminated material already removed in Tuapse. Consumer safety authorities have advised residents to limit outdoor exposure and keep windows closed due to heightened benzene levels in the air. The local health authority has also recommended residents to only consume bottled water as a precautionary measure.
The escalating situation has led to frustrations and concerns among locals, with some questioning the assurances provided by authorities. Ukrainian drones also targeted an oil refinery near Perm and another in the Orenburg region, both located approximately 1,500 kilometers away from Ukraine. Kyiv’s recent actions are part of a broader strategy to disrupt Russian energy infrastructure and weaken Moscow’s financial resources for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has been ongoing for over four years, with both nations engaged in a prolonged state of war since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
