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Russian drones hit SOCAR oil depot in Ukraine's Odesa region, sources say

Two industry sources confirmed on Friday that a Russian drone attack in Ukraine's southern Odesa Region damaged an oil depot owned SOCAR by the Azerbaijani state oil company.

One source said that four people were injured in the attack.

A source from the energy sector said that "multiple drones" struck the oil depot owned by the Azerbaijani SOCAR company this evening. The damage is hard to estimate at this time. "Several people were hurt."

SOCAR has 60 fuel stations in Ukraine.

In recent months, Russian forces have intensified their drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities far from the frontline.

Officials in Ukraine said that earlier this week Russia attacked a gas station used to import LNG imported from the U.S.A. and Azerbaijan as part of an attack intended to undermine winter preparations.

In July, Ukraine began pumping a small amount of Azerbaijani natural gas via the Transbalkan route. It also announced plans to increase imports of gas from the Azerbaijani SOCAR energy company.

Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijani president, is in Washington this Friday. He is expected to sign a first peace agreement mediated by the United States with Armenia at a meeting between Donald Trump and President Aliyev. (Reporting and Writing by Olena Hartmash, Editing By Louise Heavens).

(source: Reuters)