Ukrainian drones reportedly strike oil depot in occupied Crimea

Prefer on Google by Sonya Bandouil, Dmytro Basmat A purported photo of a large fire at an oil depot in the city of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea overnight on April 18, 2026. (Exilenova_plus/Telegram) Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated. Ukrainian drones reportedly struck an oil depot in the city of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea overnight on April 18, Russian Telegram media channels reported. A series of explosions rocked occupied Sevastopol and nearby Novofedorivka overnight on April 18, according to Russian Telegram media channels , citing resident accounts. Locals reported hearing multiple blasts across the city, with intense air defense activity described as coming "from all positions." A large fine was subsequently seen in the port area of Kazachya Bay in Sevastopol. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed head of the occupied city, claimed in a Telegram post that a "tank with leftover fuel" was struck by downed drone, adding that no injuries were reported as a result of the attack. The Kyiv Independent cannot verify the reports nor claims made by Russian-installed officials. Telegram channel Crimean Wind claimed that Russian air defenses were reported to be firing near the Sevastopol thermal power plant, and witnesses reported hearing drones flying over the Lenin district of the city. Explosions were additionally recorded near the Saki airfield in Novofedorivka at around 01:20, according to local accounts. At the Kacha airfield, signal flares were launched as anti-aircraft guns and machine guns fired rounds. First annexed by Russia in 2014, Crimea has served as a key target of Ukrainian attacks given its proximity to Ukrainian-controlled territory. In recent months, amid the U.S.-Israeli led strikes against Iran, Kyiv has ramped up its strikes against Russian oil infrastructure in a bid to curtail oil revenues that fuel Russia's war machine. In March, about 40% of Russia's oil export capacity was reportedly disabled by long-range Ukrainian drone strikes and tanker seizures. The war in the Middle East has been a boon for Russia, which reaped a windfall from higher energy prices and more demand for its oil and gas, after the U.S. temporarily waived global sanctions on purchasing Russian oil. The waiver expired on April 11. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on April 14 upgraded Russia's growth forecasts for 2026 by 0.3% off the back of higher energy prices. The fund now forecasts that Russia's economy will grow by 1.1% in 2026.