Russian President Vladimir Putin has remained silent for a week after Ukrainian drone strikes sparked a massive fire at the Tuapse oil terminal, sending toxic smog hundreds of kilometers along Russia’s Black Sea coast.
The first recent strike on the facility occurred on the night of April 16, when Ukrainian drones hit the oil refinery infrastructure.
The attack sparked a major fire, killed two local residents, injured seven others, and forced authorities to declare a state of emergency in Tuapse.
While firefighters battled the blaze and emergency crews cleared damaged buildings, Putin continued a routine schedule of meetings and public appearances.
On the day of the attack, he discussed support measures for participants in Russia’s war against Ukraine with the head of Karachay-Cherkessia, according to official reports cited by The Moscow Times.
In the days that followed, as the fire continued and emergency workers responded to the aftermath, Putin held talks on unrelated domestic issues, including cultural cooperation, agriculture, and regional infrastructure projects.
The refinery site was officially reported as extinguished on April 19 – but the situation quickly escalated again.
On April 20, Ukrainian drones struck the Tuapse refinery a second time, hitting fuel storage tanks and reigniting large-scale fires.
Authorities also reported an oil slick spreading into the Black Sea and contamination reaching a local river. Residents described “oil rain” coating streets in a greasy film.
The environmental impact widened rapidly. Smoke from the burning terminal spread up to 300 kilometers (186 miles), reaching Sochi, Anapa and Stavropol.
Health authorities urged residents to stay indoors, keep windows shut, and wear masks, while schools and kindergartens were closed.