(Updated: )
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being update.
Two large fire erupted at an oil depot terminal in Russian-occupied Feodosia late at night on Oct. 10 at the site of a previous Ukrainian drone strike, where another blaze has been burning for four days, local media reported.
According to the telegram channel Crimean Wind, an "intense" fire broke out around 9 p.m. local time. The fire was large enough to be visible from within all neighborhoods of the city.
Local residents also reported that a second fire erupted at 11:10 p.m., marking the second large explosion recorded.
Videos of the fires circulating on social media show a large explosion engulf the night sky with flames billowing a few dozen meters into the sky.
The fires occurred at the site of another ongoing oil depot fire at the Marine Oil Terminal in Feodosia which was caused by a Ukrainian missile strike on Oct. 7.
The cause of the latest fires is unclear, and Ukraine has not yet commented on situation.
Local authorities confirmed the incident, adding that there has been the release of unspecified "flammable materials" at the site of one of the fires.
As of Oct. 10, 1,137 people had been evacuated from stemming from the Oct. 7 missile strikes, said Igor Tkachenko, the Russian-installed proxy head of Feodosia. The Russian-installed governor claimed that no additional evacuations were being conducted following the latest fire.
The Kyiv Independent cannot verify the claims by the Russian officials.
The Feodosia terminal is the largest in Crimea for handling oil products, with only one other terminal of its kind located in Sevastopol. The terminal was previously targeted by Ukrainian drones in March 2024 when four drones struck the depot, damaging the main fuel pipeline and causing a fire, which took over an hour to extinguish.
In recent months, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia's oil industry, whose profits fuel Moscow's war efforts.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
Independent journalism needs a community —
not a paywall.
We’re working hard to show the world the truth of Russia’s brutal war — and we’re keeping it free for everyone, because reliable information should be available to all.
Our goal: reach 20,000 members to prove independent journalism can survive without paywalls, billionaires, or compromise. Will you help us do it?
