An overnight Ukrainian drone strike ignited a major fire at an oil depot near Sochi, Russia’s Black Sea resort, as the two sides exchanged attacks and Ukraine’s president announced a prisoner exchange.
Russian officials confirmed that wreckage from a downed drone struck a fuel tank, causing the blaze.
More than 120 firefighters were dispatched to control the fire, which was eventually brought under control after a series of explosions and intense flames.
The depot, linked to Rosneft, reportedly contained fuel tanks with a combined capacity of around 2,000 cubic meters.
The nearby Sochi airport briefly suspended operations before resuming flights, according to civil aviation authorities.
Video footage shared on social media showed thick columns of black smoke rising over the facility .
Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry said its air defences intercepted 93 Ukrainian drones targeting Russian territory overnight, including 60 over the Black Sea.
Ukrainian air force officials reported intercepting 60 Russian drones and one missile, though some still struck targets across eight Ukrainian regions.
A missile strike on Mykolaiv also injured at least seven civilians, while a separate drone strike in the Voronezh region wounded four people.
In a diplomatic move amid the violence, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced an agreement to exchange approximately 1,200 prisoners with Russia, following negotiations held in Istanbul in July.
While lists are still being finalised, the swap signals ongoing efforts toward limited cooperation despite escalating hostilities.
Sunday’s events occurred during one of the deadliest weeks of the war in recent months, following a Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv that claimed 31 lives.
The flare-up comes amid mounting international pressure for a ceasefire by early August.