Last week I wrote about Ukraine’s attack on the Russian oil refinery in Tuapse, a resort town along the Black Sea. The attack last week was actually the second one and resulted in a major fire that took hundreds of firefighters days to put out. It also filled the skies with smoke and a “black rain” made up of oil and various toxic chemicals.
Last night, Ukraine struck the same site again. Once again the site is engulfed with flames.
A major Russian oil refinery on the Black Sea has been hit for the third time this month by Ukrainian drones, causing a “massive fire” and forcing the evacuation of people living nearby, local officials have said.
Earlier strikes in the past two weeks at the Tuapse refinery caused a big oil spill in the sea and residents reported “black” rain falling on the city and leaving an oily residue everywhere.
Ukraine’s military confirmed the latest drone strike, saying such refineries helped fund Russia’s full-scale invasion launched in 2022.
Once again, the fires are having a major impact on the town, with authorities telling everyone to close their windows and stay inside.
Residents were urged to wear masks and rinse their nose, eyes and throat, as well as keep windows closed and limit time outdoors.
Anastasia Troyanova, a local correspondent for environmental news outlet Kedr, described “a huge cloud of black smoke over the town; it smells of burning”.
In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the country’s emergencies minister to fly to Tuapse urgently to oversee firefighting and cleanup efforts.
Video shows the scale of the fires:
Russia’s Tuapse oil refinery is now burning out of control this morning after an overnight Ukrainian drone raid.
Locals report that additional oil storage tanks exploded. pic.twitter.com/PN6YwLkQ3j
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 28, 2026
There are actually three fires at the same facility.
The Tuapse refinery in Russia is burning at least at three different points.
This is the third Ukrainian strike on Russia’s oil infrastructure in Tuapse in the last 12 days.
Fuel storage tanks are on fire across the refinery grounds. pic.twitter.com/qAhI9lqZsw
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) April 28, 2026
There are some reports that burning oil is flowing into nearby residential neighborhoods, causing the fire to spread.
Russian outlet Astra, after reviewing eyewitness footage, said the spill stretched along Koshkina Street – from the oil refinery site to building No. 30.
According to the report, the fuel likely leaked from large domed tanks typically used to store heavy petroleum fractions such as fuel oil.
Residents have described the incident as a disaster.
Here’s video that appears to back that up.
The situation in Tuapse is getting out of control as the burning oil started flowing into the streets pic.twitter.com/F5VfP8V4EG
— GMan | GMan’s Chronicle (@FAB87F) April 28, 2026
Finally, it’s worth noting that while we can see all of this happening via social media, Russia continues to throttle the internet internally, cracking down on everything except the government approved which can be spied upon.
Citing security reasons, the authorities have for months blocked access to the mobile internet for days on end in the vast majority of Russian regions. They have also blocked or throttled an increasing number of foreign apps — including Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp and Telegram — pressuring Russians to use homegrown alternatives that are easier to monitor. Many have turned to technological workarounds known as Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs.
As the blackouts and blockages have interfered with everyday life, Russians have tried to hold protests in some cities. The authorities have blocked them, in some cases citing fears that the demonstrations could get too big.
Russians have instead taken their complaints to social media. Furious messages have flooded the comment section of the social media page for the Digital Development Ministry. When the internet outages peaked, so did searches on Google for “how to leave Russia.”…
More than 100 million Russians were using Telegram every month for communication, news and business transactions. The Kremlin is pushing them to switch to MAX, an unencrypted government-built “super” app.
The fact that Putin is clamping down on the internet is a sign that he’s worried about increased opposition as the war in Ukraine drags on for a fifth year with no end in sight.
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