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On the night of March 16, Krasnodar Krai came under a massive drone attack. The main target was an oil depot.
This was reported by the regional operational headquarters. The first reports of explosions near the local oil depot appeared on Telegram channels around 2 a.m. Residents of Labinsk shared videos capturing the moment of the strike and a powerful fire that broke out in the city’s industrial zone.
The operational headquarters later confirmed the incident, but — as is typical for Russian authorities — said the fire was caused by the “fall of debris from a downed UAV.”
“In the industrial zone of Labinsk, a fire broke out on the territory of an oil depot following a UAV attack. According to preliminary information, there are no casualties. Four fire crews, rescue units and specialists from the regional department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia are involved in extinguishing the blaze,” the official statement said.
Currently, open flames are still visible at the oil depot. A column of thick black smoke can be seen several kilometers from the site of the incident.
Why Labinsk became a target
Krasnodar Krai is a strategic logistics hub for the Russian army. Oil depots in this region act as “fuel stations” for occupation forces fighting in southern Ukraine. Disabling facilities in Labinsk, Tuapse, or Novorossiysk can significantly complicate the refueling of enemy military equipment and aircraft, creating a fuel shortage directly on the frontline.
Regular strikes on Russian regions
On the night of March 15, Belgorod came under a missile attack. The city experienced disruptions to electricity, water supply, and heating.
Drones also struck Krasnodar Krai, where the Tikhoretsk oil hub was damaged. Russian authorities again claimed that fragments of a downed drone had fallen on the facility.
In addition, on March 12, drones hit the “Tikhoretsk” oil pumping station in Krasnodar Krai, causing a large-scale fire.
