Ukrainian Drones Hit Sochi Oil Depot, Air Defense Systems as Moscow Faces Third Night of Flight Disruptions

Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s Black Sea resort city of Sochi and the nearby Sirius settlement overnight on Sept. 4, hitting an oil depot and reportedly targeting Russian air defense systems, Russian and Ukrainian sources said. The attack sparked a fire at the Adler oil depot, which is owned by Russian oil giant Rosneft, according to the Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+. Several residential buildings and other structures were also reportedly damaged.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “There are no casualties according to preliminary information,” the Krasnodar Krai operational headquarters said, while urging residents not to publish footage showing the aftermath. In Sirius, drones reportedly struck a position equipped with S-300 or S-400 air defense systems, the ASTRA Telegram channel reported, citing photographs and videos from witnesses. The area has increasingly come under Ukrainian drone attacks. Russian authorities previously installed a large radar near the Krylya Baltiki beach after earlier strikes, apparently to strengthen defenses around the resort. The latest strikes also occurred relatively close to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Black Sea residence, Bocharov Ruchey, located several dozen kilometers from Sirius and the Adler oil depot. Russian authorities have previously reinforced the residence’s air defenses. Putin has reportedly stopped visiting the property since 2025 amid repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on Sochi. Other Topics of Interest Russia Demands ‘Immediate Release’ of Ship Seized by Norway Over Naftogaz Claim The Russian vessel remains detained in Svalbard as Naftogaz moves to enforce an arbitration award over assets seized by Moscow. Defense plant targeted in Bashkortostan Ukraine also targeted the Russian city of Sterlitamak in the Republic of Bashkortostan overnight, according to the Ukrainian monitoring channel Supernova+. The reported target was the Avangard defense plant, which produces explosives, ammunition and specialized containers. Local Russian authorities did not comment on the reported attack. The overnight drone campaign also reached the Moscow region. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defenses had shot down 35 drones approaching the capital. Emergency crews were working at sites where drone debris fell, he said, without providing further details. Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency imposed flight restrictions for a third consecutive night at three Moscow airports – Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky. The disruptions come after dozens of flights were canceled and several hundred delayed at Moscow-area airports in recent days as Russian authorities repeatedly restricted air traffic over drone threats. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.