Fire at southern Russian oil depot extinguished after nearly a week, governor says
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A fire at an oil depot in southern Russia's Krasnodar region after a suspected Ukrainian drone attack has been extinguished nearly a week after it started, region governor Veniamin Kondratiev said on Tuesday.
The Kavkazskaya depot is located only a few kilometres from the Kropotkinskaya pumping station of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which was also hit by a drone last month, sparking fears of a drop in oil supplies in global markets.
The depot is key for Russia's oil exports via the CPC, which mainly transports Kazakhstan's oil exports.
Kondratiev said on the Telegram messaging app that two reservoirs at the facility were completely burnt out. More than 470 firefighters tackled the blaze, he added.
The oil complex includes a railway loading rack and a pipeline to the Kropotkinskaya pumping station.
Suppliers delivered at least 130,000 metric tons of oil per month via Kavkazskaya last year, CPC says, with volumes totalling around 1.51 million tons for the year as a whole.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
43 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Russia Won't End Ukraine War Until NATO 'Pulls Out' of Baltics: Moscow
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Ukraine war won't end until NATO withdraws troops from the Baltics, a top Russian official has warned. Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister responsible for U.S. relations, nonproliferation and arms control, made the remarks in an interview with state-run news agency Tass. Newsweek has reached out to the Kremlin and NATO for comment by email. Why It Matters Ryabkov's comments mark a shift in the Kremlin's position. He suggested that the conflict's roots lie not only in Ukraine itself but in NATO's eastward expansion. According to Ryabkov, the withdrawal of NATO forces from the Baltics would help bring an end to the war. What To Know NATO maintains a strong military presence in the Baltic States, with multinational battle groups and brigades stationed in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The military alliance bolstered its presence in the region in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It said in an update on June 6 that the eight battle groups "demonstrate the strength of the trans-Atlantic bond and the Alliance's solidarity, determination and ability to respond to any aggression." Also, Sweden and Finland have switched from being neutral to joining NATO since the invasion. The Kremlin had said Ukraine must abandon its ambitions to join NATO as a condition for ending the war, but Ryabkov appeared to signal to Tass that the alliance must withdraw completely from the Baltics as well. In the article titled "Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov: It is impossible to resolve the conflict until NATO pulls out," the official argued that resolving the conflict in Ukraine requires addressing what he described as the root causes. "The American side requires practical steps aimed at eliminating the root causes of the fundamental contradictions between us in the area of security. "Among these causes, NATO expansion is in the foreground. Without resolving this fundamental and most acute problem for us, it is simply impossible to resolve the current conflict in the Euro-Atlantic region." Ryabkov suggested NATO's eastward expansion was central to the war. "Given the nature and genesis of the Ukrainian crisis, provoked by the previous U.S. authorities and the West as a whole, this conflict naturally acts, well, if you like, as a test, a trial, which checks the seriousness of Washington's intentions to straighten out our relations," he said. Last month, three Russian sources with knowledge of Washington-led negotiations told Reuters that Putin's conditions for ending the Ukraine war include a written pledge from Western leaders to halt NATO's eastward expansion. What People Are Saying A senior Russian source with knowledge of top-level Kremlin thinking told Reuters in an article published on May 28: "Putin is ready to make peace but not at any price." A second source told Reuters: "Putin has toughened his position." Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister, told Tass: "Trump's return to the White House, declaring his commitment to a political and diplomatic settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, has become a reason for cautious optimism in terms of a potential normalization of relations with the United States, but also in a broader sense. "It was in this vein that the presidents of Russia and the United States held four telephone conversations. Our side expressed gratitude for the United States' support in resuming direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, interrupted by the Ukrainian side in 2022. "But Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin also confirmed the basic principle of the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict within the framework of political and diplomatic efforts. Otherwise, long-term peace cannot be ensured, and in concrete terms, it is necessary to exclude any opportunity for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to take advantage of the pause for a respite and regroup their forces." What Happens Next Moscow and Kyiv will continue to launch strikes on each other's territory, with the war in Ukraine showing few signs of a peace deal in the near future.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Tesla Seems Terrified These Messages About Its Robotaxi Rollout Will Be Released
We're less than a week away from Tesla's launch of a robotaxi service in Austin, Texas. The company's long-awaited ride-hailing service is set to kick off on June 12, albeit with some significant limitations. A mere "ten or 20 vehicles," which will rely on human safety drivers, will ferry passengers on "day one," CEO Elon Musk revealed during the company's disastrous earnings call in April. Tellingly, the carmaker is already desperately trying to steer the conversation, closely barring the public from accessing information about the robotaxi service pilot. As Reuters reports, Tesla is trying to prevent the city from releasing public records related to the project, raising urgent questions surrounding Tesla's long-awaited foray into the autonomous ride-hailing space. As Tesla reels from Musk's incredibly damaging leadership — or lack thereof — the stakes are incredibly high. Making matters even worse, the company's shares tanked on Thursday, following the mercurial CEO's ugly spat with the president breaking out into the public, wiping out a record $152 billion in market value. Vehicle sales have also fallen off a cliff, compounding a growing crisis. In other words, an extraordinary amount is riding on Tesla's Hail Mary robotaxi launch. To learn more, Reuters requested communications records between Tesla and Austin officials spanning the last two years. But as one public information officer from the city told the agency, "third parties" intervened, preventing them from releasing these cords to protect their "privacy or property interests." A Tesla lawyer told Reuters that the EV maker was simply protecting "confidential, proprietary, competitively sensitive commercial, and/or trade secret information" and that releasing these records would "irreparably harm Tesla." That degree of secrecy is certainly suspicious. Apart from protecting its IP, it feels plausible that Tesla is trying to prevent the public from exposing the EV maker's foray into the autonomous ride-hailing industry as half-baked and woefully behind the competition. Literal insiders certainly seem to feel that way. In a podcast interview last month, Tesla's head of Autopilot and AI software, Ashok Elluswamy, admitted that "technically Waymo is already performing." "We are lagging by maybe a couple of years," he added. Musk has bet the company's entire fate on a future in which "hundreds of thousands, if not over a million, Teslas" are "doing self-driving in the US" in a matter of years. But glaring shortcomings with the firm's driver assistance software remain. Federal regulators are still investigating fatal crashes involving the carmaker's misleadingly-named "Full Self-Driving" feature, casting its future as a fully autonomous taxi company in doubt. Unperturbed, Musk has remained characteristically optimistic, tweeting late last month that "Tesla has been testing self-driving Model Y cars (no one in driver's seat) on Austin public streets with no incidents." "A month ahead of schedule," he added. "Next month, first self-delivery from factory to customer." More on the robotaxi launch: Tesla's Robotaxi Launch Is Already an Enormous Mess
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Key to Russia's potential defeat lies in its economy
As the war in Ukraine grinds on, attention remains fixed on the battlefield. But Russia's most vulnerable flank is not in the trenches — it's in the treasury. The West, and especially the United States, holds economic levers that could push Vladimir Putin toward serious negotiations or even collapse his ability to sustain the war altogether. Recent developments signal a shift in Washington's posture. Military aid to Ukraine has resumed, and a landmark U.S.-Ukraine resource agreement was signed on April 30. More significantly, senators — led by Republican Lindsey Graham — are advocating sanctions that would impose 500% tariffs on Russian oil and commodity exports. Moscow has reacted with alarm, calling this initiative a 'counteroffensive from the American deep state.' It's no bluff. The Kremlin is right to be worried. What truly threatens Putin's war machine is energy revenue — or rather, the loss of it. The Russian economy is deeply dependent on oil and gas exports, with the 2025 federal budget based on an oil price of $70 per barrel. But Russian Urals crude is now priced around $60, and could fall further. Saudi Arabia, frustrated by non-compliance within OPEC+, is allowing oil prices to drop, potentially triggering a price war. Riyadh has openly stated it can withstand a prolonged period of low prices — a veiled threat aimed at Moscow and other OPEC+ defectors. Read also: Exclusive: Russia's ballistic missile production up at least 66% over past year, according to Ukrainian intel figures The effects are already visible. Russia has slashed its oil revenue forecast for 2025 by 24%, with the Finance Ministry predicting a drop from 11 trillion to 8.3 trillion rubles. The country's oil production could decline by up to 50% by 2030, largely because newer reserves are technically difficult and capital-intensive to extract. That's why Moscow is quietly seeking Western — specifically U.S. — expertise to develop these fields. A coordinated, firm sanctions regime from Washington and Brussels could shut that door completely. Simultaneously, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia are deepening their energy partnership, particularly in liquefied natural gas (LNG). Saudi Aramco has reportedly signed memoranda of understanding with American LNG exporters like NextDecade and Sempra. The latter already holds a major supply contract with Poland's Orlen, and the U.S. is now poised to become a key alternative gas supplier to Central and Eastern Europe. These investments will expand global LNG capacity and bring prices closer to the U.S. Henry Hub benchmark — lowering Europe's dependence on Russian gas. Poland and Ukraine are moving to capitalize on this trend. Warsaw has announced plans for a second floating LNG terminal, which could eventually supply Slovakia and Hungary — two nations historically reliant on Russian gas. Ukraine, meanwhile, is gaining investor interest now that the U.S. has committed to a joint Reconstruction and Investment Fund, funded through future resource extraction projects. For the first time since the full-scale invasion began, Western business sees a path forward in Ukraine's energy sector. The implications for Russia are grave. Military spending has ballooned to 6.3% of GDP — its highest level since the Cold War — while the budget deficit continues to rise. To fund its war, the Kremlin is raiding reserves, raising taxes, and cutting social programs. Absent war spending, Russia might already be in recession. The regime increasingly relies on military conflict to justify domestic hardship and consolidate power. Read also: Inside Russia, calls for peace come with conditions — and Kremlin talking points But the geopolitical landscape is shifting. The combination of low oil prices, expanding LNG competition, and targeted U.S. sanctions could inflict sustained economic damage on Russia without risking American or European lives. Energy diplomacy, not just weaponry, could determine the outcome of this war. The next steps are critical. The White House must maintain pressure — not just by providing Ukraine with military aid, but by deepening its energy cooperation with allies and enforcing robust sanctions. The message to Moscow should be clear: the price of continuing the war will be economic asphyxiation. If the United States can coordinate its economic tools with allies in Europe and the Middle East, Russia may find itself unable to afford the very war it insists on waging. Submit an Opinion Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
