Russian drones hit SOCAR oil depot in Ukraine's Odesa region

A Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s southern Odesa region has damaged an oil depot belonging to Azerbaijan’s state oil company, SOCAR, and left four people injured, industry sources told Reuters.

“Several drones struck the oil depot of the Azerbaijani company SOCAR this night,” one energy industry source said. “The damage is difficult to assess at this point. Several people were injured.”

SOCAR, which operates around 60 fuel stations across Ukraine, is a key player in the country’s energy supply chain. The strike marks a significant escalation in the vulnerability of foreign-operated infrastructure, as Russia continues to target Ukraine’s critical facilities far from the front lines.

In recent months, Moscow has intensified its campaign of missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities and essential services, including energy systems and logistics hubs. These attacks are seen as an attempt to disrupt Ukraine’s resilience ahead of the winter.

Earlier this week, another Russian strike hit a gas compressor station in the Odesa region, used for importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States and Azerbaijan. Ukrainian officials described the incident as part of a broader strategy aimed at undermining the country’s winter preparedness.

Ukraine has been diversifying its energy sources and transit routes in response to the ongoing conflict. In July, it pumped a test volume of Azerbaijani gas through the Trans-Balkan pipeline- a first for the route and has since announced plans to ramp up imports from SOCAR.

The drone strike comes as Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev visits Washington, where he is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump and sign a preliminary peace agreement with Armenia, brokered by the United States. The timing of the incident underscores the geopolitical complexity of the region, where energy infrastructure has become both a strategic asset and a target.

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