Day 1,654 of the war: oil depot burns in Sochi after drone strike, Putin speaks of chances for peace
An overnight Ukrainian drone attack set an oil depot ablaze in Sochi, while a Russian strike on Shebekino killed four people. Meanwhile diplomatic activity continues around possible Russia-Ukraine talks.
Overnight into Friday, September 4, a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at an oil depot in Sochi and the federal territory of Sirius, the Krasnodar region's operational headquarters reported. Windows were damaged in several residential buildings, and a few small fires broke out but were quickly extinguished.
Coca-Cola confirmed that its production facility in Brovary, Kyiv region, was damaged in a Ukrainian... rather, Russian drone strike on Thursday. The company said all employees were safe and unharmed, and that it was working with authorities to assess the situation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his evening address, called the strike a clear signal from Russia to the United States, saying Moscow surely knows the plant is American-owned.
In Russia's Belgorod region, a Ukrainian strike on the city of Shebekino killed four people — a doctor, a paramedic, and a married couple — according to acting regional governor Alexander Shuvayev. Three more men, including an ambulance driver, suffered shrapnel wounds. Two outbuildings collapsed and a fire broke out; windows in apartment buildings, a private house, a garage and vehicles were also damaged, including one hit by a drone in the village of Dobroye.
Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he believes there are chances for a diplomatic resolution to the war, but that Russia and Ukraine themselves must reach an agreement while other countries merely support the process. He noted that contacts between Moscow and Kyiv continue via intelligence services, but said Ukrainian attacks on shipping in the Black Sea complicate prospects for bilateral talks.
Zelensky said Ukraine expects talks with Russia to resume with US mediation, adding that American representatives are expected to visit both Kyiv and Moscow soon to discuss a possible peace agreement. US President Donald Trump said he is not planning a trilateral summit in the near term and would only meet Putin once he is ready for peace, again blaming both Kyiv and Moscow for the war's continuation and pointing to personal animosity between Zelensky and Putin as an obstacle.
Ukraine's General Staff continues to publish estimated Russian military losses, while Ukraine does not regularly disclose its own casualty figures.
