Russia hits SOCAR facility in Odesa again, raising tensions with Azerbaijan

 Russian forces targeted multiple sites in Odesa on August 17, including a fuel depot operated by Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR, Ukraine’s military reported. The strike, carried out with Shahed drones, triggered a major fire and damaged storage tanks, a pump station, and auxiliary facilities. It marks the second attack on SOCAR infrastructure in Ukraine this month.

Baku has previously warned that continued strikes on Azerbaijani assets could affect its bilateral ties with Moscow. Analysts suggest the attacks may be a signal from the Kremlin aimed at Azerbaijan’s growing energy cooperation with Ukraine and the European Union.