A Ukrainian drone attack on Sunday damaged at least two foreign vessels and the oil terminal at Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse. This attack is part of Ukraine’s strategy to weaken Russia’s war efforts by targeting its energy infrastructure. For several months, Ukraine has been striking Russian oil facilities, with reports suggesting Western intelligence may have assisted these operations.
Russian authorities confirmed that the attack resulted in damage to two foreign ships, leading to a fire at the port, which is a significant oil terminal. There were no injuries reported among the ship crews, and all fires were put out, but the terminal’s infrastructure was harmed. An official from Ukraine’s SBU security service stated that five drone strikes targeted an oil tanker and nearby port facilities.
Tuapse’s oil terminal processes 240,000 barrels of oil per day and mainly exports to China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Turkey. The operational status of the terminal after the attack is unclear. In response, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have destroyed 283 Ukrainian drones, but Ukraine has not commented on the attack. Ukraine views these strikes as retaliation against Russian hits on its own energy grid, following significant damage to power infrastructure in Ukraine resulting from Russian airstrikes. The drone debris also caused minor damage in the Tuapse area and briefly shut down many Russian airports for safety.
With information from Reuters
