A Ukrainian drone attack on an oil depot near Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi set fire to the facility on Sunday, with over 120 firefighters trying to extinguish the blaze. The attack also came amid talks of a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the two countries have agreed to swap 1,200 prisoners in a deal reached during recent negotiations in Istanbul.
Russia’s civil aviation authority temporarily halted flights at Sochi’s airport due to the incident, while authorities in the Voronezh region reported four people wounded from another Ukrainian drone strike. The Russian air defense system intercepted 93 Ukrainian drones and seven missiles over Russia and the Black Sea, but 16 others hit targets across eight locations.
The latest attacks follow a deadly week of violence in Ukraine, which has seen increased rocket fire from Russia into southern Ukraine. US President Donald Trump recently met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss peace efforts, with Trump offering a new deadline of August 8 for progress. The meeting came after Trump warned that he may impose new economic sanctions on Russia if no breakthrough is made.
Zelenskyy said his team was working to “unblock the return” of Ukrainian civilians and would continue talks with Russian officials in Istanbul.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-depot-drones-missiles-ceasefire-1bf8440535e8fa32bc66310ea37658d4