The Russian military carried out another wave of strikes against Ukraine on August 17, using both unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles, Azernews reports.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the attacks targeted infrastructure in Odessa, including a terminal of the “Nova Pochta” company and a SOCAR gas station, resulting in a powerful explosion in the city.
No official confirmation has yet been provided regarding the scale of the damage or potential casualties.
This incident marks the second time in August that Russian forces have attacked SOCAR facilities. On August 7–8, drones struck a SOCAR oil depot in the Odessa region, triggering an explosion in a pipeline, a large fire, and injuries to four employees. Following that attack, Azerbaijan dispatched an ambulance from Baku and allocated $2 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Earlier, Russian forces had also targeted an energy facility supplying Azerbaijani gas to Ukraine.
Analysts note that Moscow’s repeated strikes on SOCAR’s infrastructure are unlikely to be coincidental. They argue that such attacks not only undermine Ukraine’s energy security but also aim to weaken the strategic energy cooperation between Baku and Kyiv.
