A Ukrainian drone strike has hit a Lukoil oil depot near Sochi International Airport, killing two civilians and injuring 11 others, including a traffic police officer. The explosion sparked a massive fire and forced the airport to suspend operations, triggering widespread flight delays and chaos across regional hubs.

This marks one of the most severe drone attacks inside Russia this year, underscoring the expanding reach of Ukrainian drone warfare and the growing risks to energy and transportation hubs far from the front lines.

The targeted facility, Lukoil-Yugnefteprodukt, is located on Tavricheskaya Street in the Sirius settlement of Krasnodar Krai. The governor of the region, Veniamin Kondratyev, confirmed the casualties and urged locals to avoid the area due to ongoing emergency response efforts.

Flights delayed, passengers stranded

Nearly 800 passengers bound for Sochi are now stranded in Novosibirsk, Omsk, and Tomsk, according to Russia’s West Siberian Transport Prosecutor’s Office. More than 60 flights were delayed as authorities raced to contain the situation and assess damage to critical infrastructure.

Railway and fuel infrastructure also damaged

Ukrainian sources, including the Telegram channel Exilenova+, reported that drones also struck a railway bridge and additional oil facilities near Adler and Sochi Airport. Eyewitness videos from Sochi and Abkhazia captured massive explosions and thick black smoke rising from the scene.

Strategic strike amid escalation

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said seven drones were intercepted overnight in Krasnodar Krai, but confirmed that debris from one UAV struck Sochi, causing the fatalities and fire.