Center for Investigative journalism reported that satellite imagery analysis revealed persistent gas flaring on Ukrainian offshore drilling platforms located in the northwestern Black Sea, which have been occupied and used by Russia as military facilities.
Sentinel-2 satellite data shows that the burning of Ukrainian drilling rigs, manifold block conductors and the area occupied by Russia has been ongoing since 2014. According to the Center, fires have been burning for more than two years. New “hot spots” are emerging and smoke plumes can be seen on four of the fourteen platforms.
The Center reported that the latest satellite data recorded smoke over a stationary marine platform on 12 August 2024. This coincided with a time when Ukrainian forces attacked targets used by Russia to conduct radio electronic reconnaissance, and disrupt civilian vessel navigation. Defense Express portal reported that in August, the MSP-17 platform was likely the target of the latest Ukrainian strike. At the time, NASA FIRMS wildfire monitoring satellites had detected two fires on the northwestern Black Sea.
NASA data confirms satellite imagery and shows four thermal anomalies between Odesa Oblast, and the occupied Crimea.
The center noted that after the Ukrainian strikes, Chornomornaftogaz, which is controlled in Crimea by the occupation authorities, announced the suspension field operations. This resulted in a 28,1% reduction in mining in the occupied peninsula.
According to Ukrainian Naval spokesperson Dmytro Plenchuk, the Russian Navy does NOT plan to return to Crimea because Ukrainian strikes on the fleet as well as other assets in the occupied Peninsula have made harboring dangerous.
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