Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on August 18, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Russian drones targeted SOCAR oil facilities in Ukraine's Odesa region, raising energy security concerns. Kyiv calls for Azerbaijan's diplomatic response.
KYIV (Reuters) -Russian drones on Monday intentionally attacked an oil depot belonging to Azerbaijani state oil company SOCAR in Ukraine's southern Odesa region for the second time in two weeks, Ukrainian officials said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, writing on X, said the "deliberate Russian strike...was an attack not only on us but also on our relations and energy security."
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called for "an appropriate diplomatic and legal response" by Baku to what he described as moves "against Azerbaijan’s interests".
There was no immediate comment from SOCAR, which operates around 60 fuel stations across Ukraine, or Azerbaijani officials. Russia has not publicly commented on the matter.
Ukraine's energy minister told reporters in Kyiv it was "hard to assess the damage" and said rescue crews were still at work.
Monday's attack follows an August 8 Russian drone attack that damaged a SOCAR oil depot, two industry sources told Reuters. At least four people had been injured in that strike, they said.
Russian forces have frequently targeted Ukrainian infrastructure and energy facilities far behind the front line.
(Reporting by Max Hunder and Yuliia Dysa; Writing by Dan Peleschuk; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Kirsten Donovan)
SOCAR, or the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic, is Azerbaijan's national oil and gas company, involved in the extraction, production, and distribution of oil and gas.
Energy security refers to the uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price, ensuring that a country can meet its energy needs without excessive reliance on external sources.
Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can be controlled remotely or autonomously, often used for surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeted strikes in military operations.
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