Blast intensifies fire at Russian oil depot struck by Ukraine

21/3/2025 16:09

An explosion rocked an oil depot in Russia's Krasnodar region where firefighters are trying to extinguish a blaze that broke out after a Ukrainian drone attack earlier this week, regional authorities said on Friday.



"During the extinguishing process, due to depressurisation of the burning tank, there was an explosion of oil products and release of burning oil," officials said on the Telegram messaging app.



The fire spread to another tank, and the fire area increased to 10,000 sq metres, they added - more than twice the original area of the blaze. More than 450 firefighters were trying to tackle it, and two had been injured.



Interfax news agency quoted regional authorities as saying that excess levels of harmful chemicals including benzene, had been detected in atmospheric tests at two locations nearby.



The depot, near the village of Kavkazskaya, is at a rail terminal for Russian oil supplies to a pipeline linking Kazakhstan to the Black Sea.