A major fire at the largest oil depot in Crimea, which could not be extinguished for several days, destroyed 8 storage tanks, while four others were damaged, according to the Ukrainian OSINT project CyberBoroshno.
The fire affected 12 tanks, with eight being completely destroyed, and buildings on the premises were also burned. Analysts shared a satellite image showing that only a third of the depot remained undamaged.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the Feodosia oil depot on October 7, coinciding with Russian President Vladimir Putin's birthday. The attack sparked a large fire, and reports suggest it was caused by U.S.-made ATACMS missiles. Social media posts showed three large columns of thick black smoke rising from the site. Authorities declared a technological emergency, restricting access to the affected area for both people and vehicles.
Emergency services reported that the fire covered an area of 3,000 square meters. According to Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations (MChS), there was no threat to the population. More than 1,000 people were evacuated, according to the Russian-appointed mayor of Feodosia, Igor Tkachenko. On October 12, he announced that the evacuated residents had started returning to their homes.
The emergency status remains in place, with cleanup efforts continuing. Restrictions on transport near the oil terminal's perimeter are still enforced. Additionally, Rospotrebnadzor detected elevated sulfur dioxide levels in the nearby Blizhniye Kamyshi neighborhood, advising residents to stay indoors and avoid airing their homes.
In 2019, the occupying authorities of Crimea sold the Sea Oil Terminal at auction for 651 million rubles to a Moscow-based company, "Firma Gunas," linked to businessman Viktor Khmarin, who attended law school with Putin. Khmarin, who is married to Putin's cousin, owns vineyards in Crimea and oil depots in the Moscow region.
