Russia's Tuapse evacuates residents after Ukrainian drone strikes trigger massive fires
Photo: An oil refinery is on fire in Tuapse following a new drone attack; locals are being evacuated (Russian media)
Large-scale fires broke out in Tuapse after a new drone attack on an oil refinery and a maritime terminal. Local authorities announced an evacuation.
Due to the massive fires, an evacuation was announced. Residents are calling the past night terrifying.
Amid the attacks, temporary restrictions were also imposed on aircraft movements at the airports of Krasnodar, Gelendzhik, and Sochi.
Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratyev confirmed the information.
“There is another serious incident in Tuapse. A large-scale fire broke out at the oil refinery due to an enemy drone attack,” he wrote.
What happened overnight
On the night of April 28, Tuapse again came under a drone attack. Residents reported more than a dozen explosions.
“Gunfire can be heard periodically, and bright flashes are visible in the sky. In one district, a fire broke out at the site where drone debris fell; flames and smoke are visible,” one public channel wrote.
Where the strikes hit
Two facilities were hit:
- The Tuapse oil refinery — a tank farm near a processing unit;
- The maritime terminal.
A massive fire rages at the Russian oil refinery in Tuapse following Ukraine's drone attack pic.twitter.com/1PAqZHKyNZ
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) April 28, 2026
After the strikes, at least two storage tanks caught fire. Soon, reports emerged of a repeat attack — new fires broke out where previous ones had not yet been extinguished.
Residents of Tuapse have long complained about the aftermath of previous fires. The smell of burning spreads through the air, and local animals are seen covered in fuel oil.
On social media, people speak of oil rains. Petroleum products from damaged tanks are being removed by trucks.
Not the first attack on the Tuapse refinery
As RBC-Ukraine reported, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine clarified the consequences of a mid-April strike on the Tuapse refinery: 24 tanks were destroyed, and four more were damaged.
Meanwhile, on April 16, after the first attack, the plant completely halted operations. After those strikes, a thick plume of smoke rose over Tuapse, stretching for more than 300 kilometers — all the way to Stavropol.
NASA satellites recorded active fire hotspots on the plant’s territory for several days.
After the drone strikes, activity at the Tuapse port dropped by about half compared to normal levels.
