The Russian Defense Ministry reported an attack by three Ukrainian drones on an energy infrastructure facility in the village of Kavkazskaya in the Krasnodar Territory, just hours after the end of talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on March 18, 2025. According to the ministry, the attack was aimed at an oil depot that provides oil transshipment to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), a key route for transporting oil from Kazakhstan and Russia to a terminal in Novorossiysk. As a result of the drones' crash, a fire broke out on the territory of the facility, covering an area of ​​1700 square meters. The Defense Ministry called Kyiv's actions a planned provocation, the purpose of which was to disrupt the peace initiatives proposed by the American president.

According to the ministry's statement, the strike took place on the night of March 19, shortly after the leaders of the two countries discussed the possibility of a 30-day moratorium on attacks on energy facilities. Russian air defense forces repelled the attack, but the drone debris caused a fire that emergency services are currently fighting. The Defense Ministry emphasized that such actions demonstrate the unwillingness of the Ukrainian side to support de-escalation, despite the agreements reached.

The Krasnodar Territory task force confirmed that the fire was started by falling debris at the oil depot of the Naftatrans company, which is associated with the CPC. Earlier, on February 17, drones had already attacked the Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station of the same consortium, 13 kilometers from Kavkazskaya, which led to a temporary suspension of its operations. According to RBC, the CPC transports more than two-thirds of Kazakhstan's export oil, and repeated strikes on its infrastructure are causing concern among shareholders, including companies from the United States and Europe. The region's governor, Veniamin Kondratyev, reported that significant forces have been deployed to extinguish the fire — more than 100 people and dozens of pieces of equipment, and the facility's operations have been suspended.

Analysts attribute the attack to Kyiv's attempt to undermine the negotiating process initiated by Trump. As Reuters notes, the American leader proposed a moratorium as a first step toward a ceasefire, which Putin supported, but Ukraine continues to strike strategic targets.