A Ukrainian kamikaze drone blew up a primary oil depot near two of Vladimir Putin’s palaces.
The midnight strike on Tuapse on the Black Sea was the fourth such attack in six days.
The Sochi international airport, used under the dictator, was closed for fear of being besieged as well.
Flights to Phuket, Dubai, Sharm el-Sheikh and Istanbul were among those delayed.
Giant flames were observed at Rosneft’s oil facility, RN-Marine Terminal Tuapse, in the Krasnodar region, on the main coastal road leading to the Sochi city hotel, where Putin’s main official residence, Bocharov Ruchei, is located.
The depot is closer to Putin’s cliff-top palace in Gelendzhik, which houses an underground bunker, a pole dancing venue and a vineyard, about 72 kilometers away.
Alexei Navalny, a survivor of the Novichok poisoning, has already leaked images of his lavish interior, which are said to be for the exclusive use of the Kremlin strongman and his cronies.
Describing the palace, Navalny said it was “the most closely guarded position in Russia, a state within a state, and this is Putin’s biggest secret. “
It’s also claimed that the estate in which the £1bn bonanza is built upon is “39 times the size of Monaco”.
The white-painted Versailles-style palace also has a church, an underground banker-style hockey field, a theater, a tunnel leading to its own beach, and landing pads for three helicopters.
It is said to be the largest private home in Russia – measuring an incredible 17,691 square metres.
But the moves in Tuapse underscore how close the sumptuous one is to Ukraine’s former spy.
Putin has already deployed missiles at his Sochi mansion, miles from Touapse, following several drone strikes in the region in November.
But like the rest of its properties, the £1 billion Gelendzhik Palace is also believed to be protected by air defence systems due to its proximity to opposition forces.
The attack in Tuapse highlights a new trend in the war, as Ukraine uses its own kamikaze drones to attack Russia while waiting for additional deliveries of weapons from the West.
Rosneft’s oil depot was attacked by drones of the Security Service of Ukraine, the resources of the special service informed Ukrainska Pravda.
The source said the attack caused a conflagration at the plant, where “the primary processing unit for petroleum products, specifically the vacuum and atmospheric chambers, took damage.”
The special adds: “There will still be many surprises; Systematic painting is being done. “
Footage showed one drone as it buzzed towards the target.
Air defenses were heard in Tuapse before the explosion of the oil refinery owned by Rosneft, Russia’s second-largest state-owned company and largest oil producer.
The chimney stretched for over 2150 feet.
The refinery contained one hundred tons of gas and two hundred tons of oil.
Thirty eight employees were evacuated and no casualties reported.
Shortly after, images were released of a second Russian factory on fire, albeit some 3,066 miles from Tuapse.
According to reports, a hydrofoil production workshop of the company Alligator LLC was completely burned down in the village of Elovoe, Emelyanovsky district, near Krasnoyarsk.
Several videos show giant flames engulfing the factory; The cause of the fire is currently unknown.
It came the day after Russia accused Ukraine of downing an Il-76 military transport plane over Belgorod region.
Moscow claimed the plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, as well as six crew members and three security guards.
Ukraine has called for a foreign investigation into the incident and whether its POWs were aboard a plane believed to be supplying weapons in the vicinity of the war zone.
“It is clear that Russians stand with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners, with the emotions of their loved ones and with the emotions of our society,” Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“All clear facts must be established, as much as possible, given that the plane crashed on Russian territory – beyond our control…
“The GUR [Ukrainian army intelligence] is investigating the fate of all prisoners.
“The security service [SBU] is investigating all the circumstances.
“And I instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to inform partners about the available data in Ukraine.
“Our state will insist that an investigation take place. “
On January 18, Ukrainian drones attacked the St. Petersburg oil terminal on the Baltic Sea.
A day later, at Rosneft’s oil depot in Klintsy, Bryansk region, gigantic fuel tanks burned, a fire that lasted more than 24 hours.
On January 21, in the Leningrad region, Ukrainian drones attacked the terminal of the Kremlin-linked liquefied vegetable fuel company Novatek in the port of Ust Luga.
The Moscow Times reported: “The new targets come with amenities that play a key role in supplying and supporting Russian army forces.
“The destruction of such elements is aimed at exerting pressure on the enemy and changing the course of military operations in Ukraine’s favor.
“In a matter of months, the Ukrainian military managed to adapt foreign artillery shells to kamikaze drones. “
Located on the Black Sea coast near Krasnodar’s Gelendzhik city hotel, Vladimir Putin’s multibillion-dollar palace complex is Russia’s largest personal residence.
Literally referred to as “Putin’s Palace,” the 17,691-square-meter assets are built on an estate described as 39 times the length of Monaco.
It is believed to be protected by air defense systems due to its proximity to Ukraine.
Some of the amenities at this white-painted Versailles-style palace include a hockey field, a theater, and a tunnel that leads to your own personal beach.
There is also a church, landing pads for three helicopters and a vineyard.
In 2021, leaked photos from opposition leader Alexei Navalny revealed a pole-dancing boudoir is on-site for exclusive use of Putin and his cronies.
Images of its opulent interior show a “striptease” room – complete with a stage and pole, as well as red sofas.
Describing the palace, Navalny said it is “the highest guarded position in Russia, in fact a state within a state, and it is Putin’s biggest secret. “
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