A drone strike caused a large fire at an oil depot in Sevastopol, the main city in Crimea, which is controlled by Russia. Social media footage showed flames from the site early on Saturday, but the fire was later extinguished and no injuries were reported. The governor of the region, who was appointed by Moscow, said the preliminary information suggested a drone strike caused the fire.

This incident occurred five days after Russia claimed to have repelled a drone attack by the Ukrainian military in the same area. Crimea has experienced frequent attacks since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine. On Friday, Russia launched airstrikes in several cities in Ukraine, killing at least 25 people, marking the first such attack in months.

In a recent Russian airstrike, a block of flats in the central Ukrainian city of Uman was hit, killing 23 people, including four children, and a woman and her three-year-old daughter died in Dnipro. Kyiv was also targeted for the first time in 51 days, but no casualties were reported. Ukraine’s air defence system intercepted 21 of the 23 missiles and two drones. The Russian defence ministry claimed that Ukrainian army reserve units were targeted and denied deliberately targeting civilians.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for increased global sanctions against Russia and stated that the attacks indicated the need for further international action. Ukraine’s forces claim they are prepared to launch a military offensive, and Western allies have provided them with new equipment. Russia has struggled to make progress in a winter offensive, including a 10-month battle for control of the strategically significant city of Bakhmut.

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