What a fiery scene we have here! On a recent Saturday, an intense blaze erupted at an oil depot in Crimea, triggered by not one but two drones from Ukraine, as reported by a Russia-appointed official. This event marks the latest in a series of attacks on the annexed peninsula, with Russia now anticipating a counteroffensive from Ukraine.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the governor of Sevastopol, a port city in Crimea, who was appointed by Moscow, wasted no time in sharing visuals of the inferno on his Telegram channel. In his account of the incident, Razvozhayev revealed that the blaze at the harbor had been given the highest complexity rating in terms of how difficult it would be to put out. However, there was a glimmer of good news as he also confirmed that the fire had been contained, despite it raging openly.
A massive fire broke out at an oil depot in Crimea after being hit by two enemy drones, according to the region's Moscow-appointed governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev. He reported that four oil tanks were destroyed, and the blaze has been designated as the most challenging type of fire to extinguish. He further stated that a third drone was taken down while another was deactivated using radio-electronic methods.
This attack occurred amidst escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia, with Ukraine reportedly planning a counteroffensive to reclaim Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to the region coincided with the International Criminal Court issuing an arrest warrant for him over war crimes.
These tensions have led to a recent spate of violent incidents, including a missile and drone attack by Russia that killed 23 people in Ukraine, with most of the victims being civilians. Six children were among the dead, and the Ukrainian Interior Minister confirmed that 22 of the 23 bodies recovered had been identified. The attack in Sevastopol follows this tragic incident and comes after Russian forces launched more drones at Ukraine.
Despite the damage caused by the fire, Razvozhayev has assured the public that it did not result in any casualties and would not disrupt fuel supplies in Sevastopol. He also revealed that the city has been frequently targeted by drone attacks, especially in recent weeks.
The Ukrainian military has not taken responsibility for the drone attack, but a spokesperson for Ukraine's military intelligence described the oil depot fire as "God's punishment" for the civilians killed in the Uman incident. However, it should be noted that the difference in the number of tanks destroyed provided by Razvozhayev and the spokesperson could not be reconciled immediately.
Ukraine's stance regarding the previous attacks on Crimea has been to neither acknowledge nor deny responsibility but to emphasize its right to strike any target in response to Russian aggression. Meanwhile, Moscow-appointed authorities in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine's Kherson province reported severe artillery fire in Nova Kakhovka, which cut off power to the city. Ukrainian-controlled parts of the province also came under fire, with one person being killed in the village of Bilozerka.