A fire broke out at a Russian port in the Black Sea on February 15 after being attacked by a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The incident injured at least 2 people.
The UAV attack took place just days before the new round of negotiations mediated by the US to end the nearly 4-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
According to Krasnodar regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev, the attack on Taman port damaged an oil tank, warehouse and stations.
More than 100 people were mobilized to extinguish many fires at the port. Mr. Kondratyev added that the attacks also targeted the tourist city of Sochi and the village of Yurovka, but the damage was less serious.
Ukraine's long-range UAV attack on Russian energy facilities is seen as an effort to reduce revenue from Russia's oil exports.
Meanwhile, Russia is accused of trying to paralyze the Ukrainian power grid to limit the access of civilians to heating, electricity and water.
Also on February 15, Ukrainian officials said that debris from the Russian UAV that fell damaged civil and traffic infrastructure in the Odesa Oblast region, disrupting electricity and water supplies.
The latest attacks occurred just days before the new round of negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations, scheduled for February 17 and 18 in Geneva, Switzerland, mediated by the United States.
Previously this year, there were 2 rounds of negotiations under a trilateral mechanism in Abu Dhabi. This round of negotiations is the first meeting to take place on European territory, just a few days before the 4th anniversary of Russia launching a comprehensive military operation in Ukraine on February 22, 2022.
Previous US-led efforts to find a consensus to end the conflict, most recently 2 rounds of negotiations in Abu Dhabi, have not yet resolved thorny issues, including the future of Donbass, a region largely controlled by Russia today.
