A major fire at an oil depot near Feodosia in Russian-annexed Crimea continues to burn, raising alarm among local residents and authorities over the safety and environmental impact.
The fire, triggered by a reported Ukrainian missile strike on an offshore oil terminal, has spread to an area of 2,500 square meters as of Wednesday, despite ongoing efforts to contain it.
Local authorities have evacuated over 1,000 people from the area, but the situation remains tense, with residents voicing concerns over deteriorating air quality and adverse health symptoms.
Ukrainian Strike Sparks Crisis
The fire began on Monday after a “successful strike” by Ukrainian forces on an oil terminal near the Black Sea port town of Feodosia.
The attack, part of Ukraine’s broader campaign targeting Russian assets in Crimea, immediately sparked fears of a prolonged environmental crisis in the region.
The strike, aimed at disrupting Russian supply lines, resulted in a large blaze that local firefighting teams have struggled to control for days.
According to Ukrainian military sources, the attack was strategically designed to hamper Russian logistical operations in Crimea, a key region that Moscow has controlled since 2014.
While Russian officials have yet to acknowledge the scale of the damage in detail, the fire has raised serious questions about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in the region.
Evacuations and Safety Measures
Local authorities responded swiftly to the incident, evacuating at least 1,130 people from the area surrounding the oil terminal.
Residents within a 10-kilometer radius of the fire were instructed to leave as a precautionary measure, while traffic around the depot was diverted to ensure public safety.
Igor Tkachenko, the Russian-appointed mayor of Feodosia, confirmed the evacuation measures and acknowledged the severity of the situation in a statement posted on Telegram.
“Efforts to mitigate the aftermath of the emergency are ongoing,” Tkachenko said on Thursday, emphasizing that firefighters were working around the clock to bring the blaze under control.
However, despite these efforts, the fire continued to spread, sparking growing frustration among residents. By Wednesday, local officials had implemented a municipal-level state of emergency, reflecting the severity of the ongoing fire and its potential long-term impact on the region.
Health and Environmental Concerns
As the fire rages on, residents of Feodosia and nearby towns have reported a range of adverse health symptoms, including nausea, headaches, and persistent coughing.
While local authorities have downplayed the severity of the situation, residents are increasingly worried about the environmental and health implications of the fire, which has continued to send thick plumes of smoke into the sky.
“I felt like coughing just going past the construction site,” said Anastasia Kuznetsova, a resident of Feodosia, in a post on VKontakte, a Russian social media platform. “The smoke enveloped the entire sky and seemed to hang lower.”
Another resident, Irina Kapeka, also took to social media to express her frustration with the authorities’ response.
“Nausea, headaches, coughing in the morning — was that all just a dream? Only the rain helped us today,” Kapeka wrote in a local VKontakte group, referring to the government’s assurances that the air quality remained safe.
Despite repeated claims from local officials that no harmful substances had been detected in air samples, residents remain skeptical. “It’s strange they [the authorities] haven’t declared this air to be beneficial,” commented Inna Radchenko, another Feodosia resident.
Adding to residents’ concerns, the local consumer protection watchdog reported elevated levels of sulfur dioxide in air samples taken near the flames.
Sulfur dioxide is a known respiratory irritant, and prolonged exposure can lead to significant health issues, particularly among vulnerable populations like children and the elderly.
Official Response and Criticism
In response to growing public outrage, local authorities have sought to reassure residents that the situation is under control.
According to the government-run newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta, repeated air quality tests in the area have shown no signs of toxic chemicals in the atmosphere, despite the continuing fire.
Local officials maintain that the evacuation measures were purely precautionary and that the air in Feodosia is safe for residents to breathe.
Nevertheless, the local response has been met with widespread skepticism, as the fire remains largely uncontained after four days.
The slow pace of efforts to extinguish the fire has drawn criticism from both residents and environmental experts, who argue that the situation could have been handled more effectively.
“How can they say the air is safe when people are getting sick?” asked one resident in a public forum. “We deserve answers.”
Environmental activists have also voiced concerns over the potential long-term impact of the fire on the region’s air and water quality.
The burning oil depot is releasing significant amounts of pollutants into the atmosphere, which could have lasting effects on the local ecosystem, experts warn.
Ongoing Efforts to Control the Fire
Firefighters continue to battle the flames at the oil depot, but the size and intensity of the fire have made containment efforts difficult.
As of Thursday, the fire had consumed an area of 2,500 square meters, and local officials have provided no clear timeline for when it might be fully extinguished.
Igor Tkachenko has reassured residents that “all necessary measures are being taken” to bring the situation under control, but frustration remains high as the fire shows little sign of abating. Local authorities have urged residents to avoid the affected area and to follow all safety precautions in the meantime.
Broader Implications
The fire at the Feodosia oil depot underscores the growing risks to critical infrastructure in Crimea as Ukraine continues its counteroffensive against Russian forces.
Crimea, which has been under Russian control since its annexation in 2014, has increasingly become a target for Ukrainian military operations aimed at disrupting Russian supply lines and weakening Moscow’s hold on the region.
While the immediate focus remains on containing the fire and ensuring the safety of local residents, the incident also highlights the broader geopolitical stakes in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
As the war drags on, the risk of further attacks on key infrastructure in Crimea and other contested regions remains high, raising concerns over both security and environmental safety in the months to come.
For the residents of Feodosia, the priority is clear: getting the fire under control and ensuring that their health and safety are not compromised in the process.
However, as the flames continue to rage, it is becoming increasingly evident that the situation may have lasting consequences for the region.