Residents of Tuapse, Russia told not to drink tap water after drone attack on refinery
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Residents of the Russian port city of Tuapse were ordered not to drink tap water and schools remained closed on Thursday, as authorities dealt with the consequences of the third Ukrainian drone strike on an oil field this month.
The area has been under a state of emergency since Tuesday, when the attack sparked a massive fire in the area, halted production and released oil into the waters off the Black Sea coast.
The fire has been out since Thursday morning, the local governor said, but Tuapse’s oil-spattered beaches and polluted air and waterways show just how painful this could be due to Ukraine’s increasing attacks on Russian power facilities.
Emergency crews were deployed on Thursday to remove five oil-struck parts from the beach, the regional team said. In total, they collected 12,600 cubic meters of waste material in Tuapse, it said.
After the attack, consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor advised residents to limit time outdoors and keep windows closed due to high levels of benzene in the air.
On Thursday, the local health authority said residents should consume only bottled water and avoid drinking from taps and natural springs as a precaution. May the holiday celebrations also be cancelled.
Frustration and concern from local people
These measures have prompted some citizens to express concern online and ask for assurances from the administration that the situation is under control.
“What if he comes to visit us to take our breath away?” one person commented on Wednesday in a video clip of the head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova saying that the situation in Tuapse is not dangerous for health.
“Everything is safe and under control!” someone else posted about the cancellation of all major outdoor events.
After the latest Tuapse attack, Ukrainian drones attacked an oil refinery near Russia’s Perm on Wednesday, the second consecutive attack on oil facilities in that area in the Ural Mountains.
The strikes reflect Kyiv’s plan to step up pressure on Russia in recent weeks, aimed at destroying oil refineries, depots and ports and crippling Moscow’s main source of funding for its war in Ukraine, as world prices have risen due to the Iran war.
On the other hand, Ukraine claims that Russian forces have attacked Ukrainian power plants for months, causing many casualties and knocking out power and heating for thousands of civilians during the winter months.
The two countries have been in a state of perpetual war for more than four years, since Russia launched an all-out attack on its neighbor in February 2022.
