Russian TikTokkers 'arrested for taking selfies outside oil depot inferno'
A Ukrainian drone strike on an oil depot in Sochi – the Russian resort that hosted the 2014 Winter Olympic Games – was captured in a video shared online by two TikTok influencers.
Footage circulating online shows two young women posing metres away from the inferno, allegedly caused by drone debris hitting a fuel tank.
The pair have since been identified as Dasha Vladimirovna, 21, and Karina Evgenyevna, 19 – who have since been detained for accidentally exposing Vladimir Putin's failures to defend Russia.
Flames are seen raging behind the two, with pillars of smoke rising into the sky, after the overnight attack.
Dasha and Karina do not appear shocked – in the video, they are rapping to the track Crimson Dawn by singer Endshpil, a famous Russian rapper.
Before they were identified, police had issued an appeal to members of the piublic, saying: 'During Internet monitoring, a publication was found of two girls filming a video against the backdrop of a fire in Sochi.
'The police have initiated an investigation, measures are being taken to identify the girls, and their actions will be legally assessed.'
It was later confirmed that Dasha and Karina had been detained, and there were calls from pro-war outlets for them to issue a public apology over the stunt close to Sochi Airport.
Police have not shared the real reason for their arrest, but it is likely that it is the potential glamourising of a Ukrainian strike on Putin's favourite Black Sea resort.
The Kremlin has been taking an increasingly hard line against social media stunts seen as highlighting Ukraine's successes in the war.
Ukraine's attack is seen as one of the most symbolically and strategically significant ones – deep within Russian territory since the start of the full-scale invasion.
The oil depot sustained a direct hit, causing the explosion of a 2,000 cubic metre fuel reservoir and sparking a fire visible across Sochi.
More than 120 firefighters and 35 emergency vehicles were deployed to the scene, and operations at the nearby airport were suspended as a precaution.
Despite the official account from the governor of Krasnodar, Veniamin Kondratyev, describing the incident as a result of falling drone fragments, widespread footage circulating online paints a starkly different picture. More Trending
Videos captured by local residents show towering plumes of black smoke, an orange-glowing night sky, and the sound of drones overhead.
In one video, a panicked resident exclaims: 'It's flying, again! Right to the airport!'
Moments later, another voice shouts, 'It's a tragedy! Everything's burning!'
These images have sharply contrasted with the restrained language used by Russia's regional and federal authorities.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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