Ukrainian Forces of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) struck the fuel storage and refueling complex at Sochi International Airport in Russia’s Krasnodar region on Sunday, Aug. 3, sparking a large fire and disrupting airport operations.

According to Ukraine’s General Staff, the drone strike was conducted in coordination with other military units. The airport’s refueling infrastructure was targeted, and a significant fire broke out at the site.

Ukrainian military officials noted that Russian combat aircraft were also stationed at the airfield, calling the attack part of the overall effort to degrade Russia’s warfighting capability.

Ukrainian authorities promised to release more details about the operation and its consequences later.

The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also reported that Ukrainian forces struck an oil depot in Krasnodar Krai on the same day. Geolocated footage showed a large blaze at the Rosneft Kubannefteprodukt oil facility in Adler, just outside Sochi.

Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev confirmed the attack, saying Ukrainian drones caused the fire and that multiple fuel tanks were engulfed.

Russian Telegram channel Astra reported that a UAV strike had caused the fire, which broke out near Sochi Airport in the Adler district. Airport operations were suspended, and passengers were evacuated to bomb shelters, with some complaining of water shortages.

Locals reported seeing flames at the Rosneft-Kubannefteprodukt depot on Aviatsionnya Street, not far from the airport.

Sochi Mayor Andrei Proshunin later confirmed that a fuel tank had exploded at the Adler depot and that drone debris had struck nearby garages.

“There are no injuries so far. All emergency services are working,” he said.

Later updates from emergency services revealed that drone wreckage fell directly into a fuel tank, triggering the fire. In total, 127 personnel and 35 items of equipment responded to the incident.

The blaze eventually spread to a second tank, covering a total area of 362 square meters.

Firefighters extinguished the first tank at 06:05 and isolated the second by 07:30. The mayor confirmed the fire was completely extinguished by late afternoon using a “foam attack” method, which helped prevent reigniting or smoldering.

Meanwhile, the same day a Ukrainian Telegram channel posted a photo reportedly showing another oil facility on fire – this time in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. However, the local governor claimed Russian forces had repelled a drone strike early that morning.

Ukraine’s Defense Forces confirmed successful strikes on key Russian oil and military infrastructure early on Aug. 2, calling them a response to recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities that killed civilians.

An AFP analysis revealed that Russia launched 6,297 long-range drones in July – the highest monthly total since the full-scale invasion began in 2022 and a 16% increase from June. The report also said 198 missiles were launched in July, the second-highest number this year.

Confirmed targets included:

“Numerous explosions and fires were recorded,” the AFU reported, adding that assessments were still ongoing.

Separately, a Ukrainian intelligence source told Kyiv Post that the Central Asia-Center gas pipeline in Russia’s Volgograd region was shut down indefinitely after a series of explosions.

The pipeline, operated by Gazprom, delivers gas from Turkmenistan through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan into Russia, reportedly supplying energy to key military-industrial sites, including the Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG (Production Complex No. 1), and The Magnum-K ammunition plant.

Gas flow in the Volgograd section has been suspended as specialists assess the damage, the source said.

Earlier, Kyiv Post reported drone strikes across multiple Russian regions and occupied Crimea, with explosions recorded in Lipetsk, Ryazan, Taganrog, Penza, Voronezh, Samara, and Crimea.