Kondratyev added that the firefighting efforts were “extremely difficult”.
On April 29, Krasnodar Krai operation headquarters confirmed that the fire at Tuapse oil refinery was brought under control. Alexander Kurenkov, Russia’s Minister of Emergency Situations, reported that the burning oil leak had been contained.
Schools in the city remained closed on April 29, despite Russian authorities declaring the fire under control.
On the night of April 28, Ukrainian forces struck Tuapse oil refinery – for the third time this month – causing large-scale fires to break out. Satellite images published on April 28 showed numerous fires and a plume of smoke at Tuapse oil depot and refinery.
Ukrainian OSINT project, CyberBoroshno, estimated that the attack set fire to at least four storage tanks at the oil refinery.
“While previous attacks targeted the oil tanks, this time the refinery itself was hit,” OSINT analysts explained.
Ukrainian forces struck Tuapse oil refinery’s storage tanks twice earlier this April, likely destroying 24 oil storage tanks and damaging four more.
The refinery suspended the operation of its only oil refining complex, which has an annual capacity of 12 million tons, after the April 20 strikes, Russian opposition publication Astra reported.