Khaberni - Russian officials said that drones launched by Ukraine caused a fire at the Russian Tuapse port on the Black Sea on Friday, at a time when Moscow residents appealed for more aid to the region, warning of an environmental disaster.
The commander of the Ukrainian drone forces confirmed the attack, which is the fourth on the Tuapse port since April 16.
Previous raids ignited fires at an oil refinery in the city at least twice, halting production, as part of a broader Ukrainian strategy to disrupt Russia's massive energy sector that funds its war effort.
The attacks caused thick black smoke to rise over the city and spilled oil slicks, damaging the beaches of the famous tourist resort.
Authorities asked residents to stay indoors, keep windows closed, and drink only bottled water.
Sergei Boiko, the official responsible for the Tuapse area, said in a holiday greeting to the residents: "Today, in these difficult days, we overcome obstacles and solve important problems together. And I believe we will succeed!"
Less than three hours later, Boiko issued a new warning of a drone attack and asked residents to take shelter in rooms without windows.
As the war enters its fifth year and talks stall, Russia and Ukraine continue to exchange air strikes, while the battle fronts on the ground remain largely unchanged.
Since the start of the war, Russia has been bombing Ukrainian power generation stations and the electric grid. The governor of the Odessa region in southern Ukraine reported that a Russian drone attack overnight damaged the port's infrastructure and injured two people.
During the war, Russia continued to target power plants and the electricity grid in Ukraine. The governor of the Odessa region in the south of the country said that a Russian drone attack overnight caused damage to the port's infrastructure and resulted in two injuries.
Russian authorities have imposed a state of emergency in Tuapse since Tuesday, when an attack caused a huge fire at the refinery that was not extinguished until two days later.
The authorities said today, Friday, that so far they have removed more than 13,300 cubic meters of fuel oil and contaminated soil along the coast.
