Ukrainian Foreign Minister reacts to Russian strike on SOCAR oil depot
Photo: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Russia has struck the SOCAR oil depot in the Odesa region for the second time. It is doing this deliberately, acting against Azerbaijan’s interests, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
"Last night, the Russians struck the SOCAR oil terminals in the Odesa region. This is already the second Russian strike on the Azerbaijani state company in recent weeks. Moscow is doing this deliberately, acting against Azerbaijan’s interests," Sybiha said.
According to him, this once again demonstrates "the importance of a new level of cooperation between Ukraine and Azerbaijan, as well as the need for appropriate diplomatic and legal responses to such attacks."
Russian strike on SOCAR oil depot
On the night of August 18, Russian forces carried out a Shahed drone attack on the Azerbaijani company SOCAR’s oil depot in the Odesa district. This is the second attack in the past two weeks.
As is known, after a series of direct hits, a powerful fire broke out at the oil depot. All storage tanks, the pumping station, operator facilities, weighing and technical buildings were damaged, and the perimeter fence was destroyed. The depot’s fuel storage capacity exceeds 16,000 cubic meters.
Previously, on August 8, the SOCAR oil depot was also attacked by Russia.
Sources told RBC-Ukraine that the strike caused a fire and damaged the diesel fuel pipeline. Four employees were seriously injured.
Sources noted that the hits from five guided drones clearly indicate that the oil depot was the primary target of the attack.
In response, Azerbaijan expressed anger at Russia and threatened to lift the ban on supplying weapons to Ukraine if Russia continues striking Azerbaijani company facilities in Ukraine.
Azerbaijan also allocated $2 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine following Russia’s deliberate strikes on its oil depot.
