Adler oil depot burned after Ukrainian drones struck overnight, igniting a 2,000 cubic meter fuel tank near Sochi, southern Russia, around 530 km from the frontline. The strike forced a halt to flights at Sochi airport while emergency crews worked through the night to contain the blaze. The attack targeted Rosneft’s Kubannefteproduct oil depot on Aviatsionnaya Street in Adler, right next to the airport.

The oil depot includes 41 tanks with a combined capacity of around 31,200 cubic meters.

Ukrainian drones strike Adler oil depot again

In the early hours of 3 August, Ukrainian strike drones hit the Adler district of Sochi in Krasnodar Krai. Telegram channels Astra and Exilenova+ reported that the drones struck the Rosneft-Kubannefteproduct oil depot, causing a powerful fire. Local authorities confirmed the fire and the suspension of flights. The depot sits not far from the Sochi airport, which led to an immediate halt to flight operations.

Mayor Andrii Proshunin of Sochi, Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratiev, and Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed a drone attack on the depot, and the fire. They claimed that falling debris from destroyed drones caused a single tank to ignite. Footage from the site, however, shows two ignition points at the facility.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations said the fire broke out in a fuel tank with a volume of 2,000 cubic meters. They also claimed that debris from drones damaged five garages in a cooperative and a shop, which also caught fire. Governor Mikhail Kotyukov said,

“In Adler district, drone debris hit a fuel tank, causing a blaze. 127 personnel and 35 units of equipment have been deployed to eliminate the consequences of the fire.”

Flights disrupted at Sochi airport

The strike forced the closure of Sochi airport for more than two hours overnight. Airport services later announced that disruptions would continue for at least a day.

“Together with airlines, we are doing everything possible to stabilize the regular schedule as soon as possible, but it will take 1–2 days,” airport representatives said.

Drones reach Voronezh and other areas

On the same night, drones also targeted other areas. Governor Aleksandr Gusev of Voronezh Oblast claimed that 15 drones were downed over Voronezh city and Liskinsky district. Russian officials said debris from drones caused fires and damaged single-family homes. Explosions and fires were reported across Voronezh.

Exilenova+ reported that the activity of electronic warfare systems led to several dorne crashes and fires across Voronezh.

A separate fire was reported at the Kstovo oil depot in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast after a drone threat was announced in the area, though it remains unclear whether that was a result of a Ukrainian strike.

Second strike on Adler oil depots in weeks

This attack marks the second major strike on oil infrastructure in Adler in recent weeks. On 24 July 2025, Ukrainian drones struck the Lukoil-Yugnefteproduct depot, which likely supplies Sochi International Airport. That strike caused a large fire at the site.

Drone attacks on 2 August across Russia

The Adler oil depot follows a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks on 2 August across Russian territory.

• On that day, drones attacked oil refineries in Ryazan and Samara Oblast’s Novokuybyshevsk.
• Ukrainian sources confirmed that earlier attacks on Penza damaged the Elektropibor and Radiozavod plants, which produce radio-electronic equipment for the Russian armed forces.
• Ukrainian drones also struck a radar complex for monitoring space objects near Feodosia in Russian-occupied Crimea.
• The same day, drones attacked the Likhaya-Zamchalovo railway power substation in Rostov Oblast, which Russia uses to supply its occupying forces in Ukraine, and an airfield in Prymorsko-Akhtarsk that launches Shahed drones.
• Separately, on 2 August, an explosion occurred on the Central Asia–Center gas pipeline in Volgograd Oblast near the village of Dynamivske in Nekhaivsky district. The blast disabled the pipeline, and gas transit was stopped indefinitely, according to Militarnyi, citing sources in special services.

Ukrainian drones struck deep into Russian territory overnight on 29 July, igniting a massive blaze at a railway hub in Rostov Oblast and cutting power to large parts of occupied Donetsk Oblast. The coordinated strikes disrupted rail traffic, left thousands stranded, and caused a widespread blackout.

Massive fire after drones hit Salsk station

According to Russian news Telegram channel Astra, drones attacked Salsk, a major junction in Rostov Oblast about 250 km from the frontline, overnight on 29 July. Local residents reported a large fire at the station after explosions shook the city. Witnesses said they saw drones overhead while Russian troops tried to shoot them down with rifles.

The head of Salsk district stated that two fuel tankers and a locomotive were hit. Telegram channels published images showing rail platforms engulfed in flames, with one picture appearing to show a burning military truck on a flatbed railcar.

Damage, alleged casualties, and chaos at the rail hub

The attack caused fires that temporarily shut down traffic through the station. Russian Railways claimed that debris from drones damaged the overhead lines and shattered windows in two cars of passenger train No. 59 Novokuznetsk–Kislovodsk. Passengers were evacuated, but later returned to the train. A passenger told Astra,

“It seems everything is fine. We are on the train now. It moved a bit and stopped again. Everyone is alive.”

Local officials claimed that a parked car was destroyed by a blast, killing its driver. Emergency services deployed 45 people and 12 vehicles to fight the fire.

Russian Railways said that at least nine long-distance trains were delayed after the strike.  Service at Salsk station was suspended for several hours. Later, the company announced that limited operations resumed.

Train substation also struck

Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ also reported a fire at Orlovsky train line power substation in Rostov Oblast, publishing videos of the strike and fire. The facility is about 400 km from the frontline.

The governor of Rostov Oblast claimed the region was hit by a mass drone attack affecting Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Salsk, Volgodonsk, Bokovsky and Tarasovsky districts. In Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, falling drone debris allegedly ignited dry grass. 

Power knocked out in occupied Donetsk Oblast

The same night, drones struck the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast. A local resident of Makiivka said that incoming drones kept hitting for over 40 minutes, destroying the Chaykyne 330 power substation. He described the station as “knocked out completely.”

Russia’s occupation authorities stated that at least 150,000 people in Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast’s part lost power after the strike. Local reports said that one of the drones also hit the Donbas Palace hotel in Donetsk city.

Analysts highlight precise planning

Analyst Tatarigami, a former Ukrainian officer and founder of Frontelligence Insight, noted that over the three days, “Ukrainian long-range drone strikes have dealt a tangible logistical blow to a rail line linking the military and industrial hubs of Volgograd and Rostov-on-Don.” The latest Ukrainian drone strikes demonstrate a systematic approach with deliberate target selection aimed at crippling Russian military logistics, he said.

Tatarigami wrote that the strike on the fuel-laden train in Salsk shows Ukraine had detailed intelligence and timed the attack precisely to cause maximum disruption to rail movements serving military needs. He also assessed that one of the destroyed buildings at Salsk station was a signal control station, based on its location, visible exterior and equipment.

As part of the same wave of strikes, he noted that a traction substation called Dvoynaya in Orlovskiy in Rostov Oblast was set on fire and will likely remain out of service for some time. He emphasized that such strikes hit the infrastructure that keeps Russian military supplies moving.

On 27 July, another Ukrainian drone strike destroyed a traction substation in Zhutovo in Volgograd Oblast, forcing major delays and rerouting of Russian trains.

Russian defense ministry claims

Russia’s defense ministry claimed that air defenses shot down 74 Ukrainian drones during the night, including 22 over Rostov Oblast, 43 over Bryansk Oblast, six over Kaluga Oblast, two over Smolensk Oblast and one over Leningrad Oblast. Despite these claims, confirmed video evidence from Astra shows extensive fires and destruction at the Salsk station.

A Novocherskassk drone strike overnight triggered explosions and fires at key infrastructure in southern Russia’s Rostov Oblast, disrupting transport, internet services, and damaging an energy facility. Despite official claims that only debris fell, local reports and videos suggest direct hits on strategic sites. Novocherkassk is located more than 200 km from the frontline.

Power station, railway, and telecom targeted in drone strike

In the early hours of 23 July, acting head of Rostov Oblast Yurii Slyusar claimed several areas came under drone attack, including Novocherskassk, as well as the Shakhty, Myasnykivskyi, Rodionovo-Nesvitaiskyi, and Aksaiskyi districts. He stated three people were allegedly injured and repeated the usual Russian narrative of “falling debris” causing damage.

The Russian news Telegram channel Astra, citing eyewitnesses, reported that both the railway station area and the Novocherskassk State District Power Station (DRES) were struck. The Ukrainian Telgram channel Exilenova+ shared videos, showing a direct hit reportedly on the station.

Following the blasts, traffic at a local railway crossing was halted, with one driver telling Astra that a jam quickly formed due to the closure.

The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed 33 drones were intercepted or destroyed overnight across its territory, 11 of them over Rostov Oblast. The ministry did not acknowledge any successful strikes, and made no reference to damage at infrastructure sites.

A fire at a Russian military-linked refinery broke out overnight on 22 July after Ukrainian drones targeted industrial sites in Russia’s Samara Oblast about 1,000 km from Ukraine. The targeted facility was the Novokuybyshevsk Petrochemical Company, one of Russia’s largest producers in the petrochemical and organic synthesis sectors. The facility plays a role in Russia’s weapons production by supplying raw materials used in artillery shells, aviation bombs, and other munitions.

Ukrainian drones hit explosives-linked chemical plant in Samara

Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ reported that the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces’ attack targeted the Novokuybyshevsk Petrochemical Company, which operates facilities producing chemicals such as benzene, acetone, phenol, and olefins. The Russian news Telegram channel Astra confirmed that drones hit the Novokuybyshevsk refinery, a Rosneft-owned site producing over 20 fuel types, including high-grade jet fuel and automotive oils.

Astra said that following the strike, a fire broke out at the facility and was later extinguished. Samara Oblast authorities acknowledged an attempted attack and claimed that several drones were shot down, while also imposing temporary mobile internet restrictions to assist military efforts in countering UAVs.

Drones target Russian airbase used for Shahed launches

Late on 21 July, Astra reported drone strikes on the Millerovo military airfield in Rostov Oblast. The airbase is frequently used to launch Shahed-type drones toward Ukrainian territory. The Iranian-designed Shahed drones can carry up to 90 kg of explosives, and Russia has been widely using them in its daily attacks against Ukrainian civilians.

Three Russian oblasts came under drone attacks overnight on 15 July, with officials reporting strikes in Lipetsk, Voronezh, and Rostov oblasts.

The attacks targeted industrial facilities and urban areas, leaving multiple casualties and damage in their wake.

In Lipetsk Oblast, Governor Igor Artamonov confirmed that “a UAV fell on the territory of an industrial zone” in Yelets, where one person was injured. According to the Telegram channel ASTRA, footage shows smoke rising from an industrial zone near the Energia plant. The channel reported that “what exactly is burning is still unknown,” though this facility has been targeted by drone attacks on multiple occasions.

The Energia plant specializes in manufacturing chemical current sources, with products “widely used in various sectors, including the defense industry, civil aviation, maritime transport, and the energy complex.”

Voronezh Oblast Governor Alexander Gusev reported that air defense forces “detected and destroyed 12 unmanned aerial vehicles” over Voronezh city and three districts. 

According to the governor, about 16 people were injured in downtown Voronezh after a downed drone crashed, while “several apartments in high-rise buildings (glazing, facades and balconies), private houses in the suburbs and in one of the districts” sustained damage.

Rostov Oblast Governor Yuri Slyusar claimed his oblasts’s air defenses shot down UAVs in the Verkhnedonskoye district, saying there were “no damage or casualties.”

Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced it had intercepted and destroyed 55 drones over Voronezh, Belgorod, Lipetsk, Rostov, and Kursk oblasts, as well as over the Black Sea. 

The overnight strikes represent a continuation of attacks on Russian territory that have intensified since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. Ukraine has not confirmed its involvement in the attacks. However, Ukrainian officials have emphasized earlier they are conducting operations to weaken Russia’s rear military bases to reduce the aggressor’s offensive potential.

The Energia plant in Yelets previously suffered a drone attack on 3 July, which forced the facility to halt operations indefinitely. Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed the strike on the plant, which produces chemical power sources for military and civilian applications.

Ukraine's Armed Forces struck the Atlas oil depot in Russia's Rostov Oblast overnight on June 23, the General Staff reported.

The attack ignited a fire at the site, with Ukrainian forces saying the strike had reached its intended target. The facility supplies fuel and lubricants to Russian military units.

Yuri Slyusar, the acting governor of Rostov Oblast, confirmed that a fire occurred at an industrial facility after the attack. He added that no one was injured.

The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, according to the military.

Located near the Azov Sea and bordering Ukraine, Rostov Oblast plays a crucial logistical role for Russia's war effort due to its proximity to front-line operations. The same depot was previously targeted in November 2024.

"The defense forces continue to take all measures to undermine the military and economic potential of the Russian occupiers and force the Russian Federation to stop its armed aggression against Ukraine," the General Staff said.

The strike is part of Ukraine's broader campaign aimed at disrupting Russian supply chains and degrading its capacity to sustain the full-scale invasion.

Fuel depots, rail infrastructure, and ammunition stockpiles inside Russia and occupied territories have increasingly become targets for long-range drone and missile strikes.

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