During the night, Russian air forces attacked oil storage facilities belonging to SOCAR in the Odesa region, which is noted as the second strike directed against the Azerbaijani state company in recent weeks. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on social media that Moscow intentionally organized this attack and is carrying out a series of actions against Azerbaijan’s interests. According to him, this incident shows how important the new level of relations between Ukraine and Azerbaijan is and once again confirms the need to give a timely diplomatic and legal response to such attacks.
According to Trend’s report, yesterday a SOCAR oil terminal located in the Odesa region was bombed by several Shahed-type drones, resulting in large explosions and fire. The strikes damaged storage tanks, the pumping station building, operator and technical facilities, as well as the fencing of the area; the total capacity of the facility exceeds 16,000 cubic meters. At the moment, work continues to determine the extent of the damage and to restore the terminals, and the rescue service is working to extinguish the fire. Sybiha assessed this incident as “an attempt by Russia directed not only at us, but also against our cooperation and energy security.”
It is reported that on August 8 this same SOCAR depot was partially destroyed after being hit by around ten drones, and a criminal case has been opened regarding this. In a statement to the press, Ukraine’s energy minister added that “it is hard to assess the damage, because the rescuers are still working.” The Russian side and SOCAR have so far not commented on this incident. Azerbaijan manages around 60 fuel stations in Ukraine, and observers say these strikes could seriously damage economic ties between the two states.
In his post, Sybiha wrote: “Moscow is doing this deliberately, acting against Azerbaijan’s interests.” Together with Ukraine’s official circles, he called on the Azerbaijani government to give an adequate response to these actions, including taking new diplomatic and legal measures. Sybiha noted the importance of strengthening cooperation with Azerbaijan, especially expanding cooperation in the energy sector.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said on his X page that the strike was “an attack not against us, but against our relations and energy security.” Local analysts believe that Russia’s step is aimed at inflicting significant damage on joint projects of Ukraine and Azerbaijan and at increasing tension among the energy players in the region.
At the same time, the international community is closely watching how Azerbaijan reacts to these strikes and how its relations with neighboring states will develop. According to the Ukrainian government, this event is a new test for security and economic interests in the region, and it is necessary to prevent such threats by strengthening cooperation on the diplomatic front. Observers are watching with interest what new chapter will open in the relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine and what the solution to this conflict with Russia will be.
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