[UPDATED: Nov. 2, 12:29 pm , Kyiv time. Updated with SBU confirmation]

Drones have struck oil facilities at the Tuapse port on Russia’s Black Sea coast yet again overnight on Sunday – setting major fire to an oil tanker – as confirmed by multiple sources.

Tuapse is home to one of Russia’s largest Black Sea oil export terminals, handling several million tons of crude and oil products annually – its proximity to Ukraine places it well within range of Ukrainian strikes.

Eyewitness accounts show fire erupting at the seaport after a reported drone strike, with Russian independent outlet Astra pinpointing at least three fires – one at the deep-water berthing complex of RN-Sea Terminal Tuapse LLC, and another at the oil loading berth near the Southern Mole.

Authorities confirmed the attack but attributed it to a “drone crash,” noting that “damage to port infrastructure has been recorded.”

“In the port of Tuapse, fragments of drones fell on an oil tanker. The deck superstructure was damaged. The tanker’s crew was evacuated. A fire broke out on the vessel,” authorities said in a statement.

“The terminal’s buildings and infrastructure were also damaged. In addition, the glass in the railway station building was damaged. According to preliminary information, there are no injuries,” the statement adds.

Kyiv Post’s source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) later confirmed the strike.

The SBU source told Kyiv Post that its Alpha Special Operations Center, in cooperation with other military branches, was responsible for the attack that it said “hit a tanker and the loading infrastructure of the oil terminal of the port of Tuapse.”

The SBU said there were five drone hits recorded, setting a tanker on fire and disabling at least four oil tanker standers that load and unload tankers were disabled. Port buildings were also reportedly damaged.

According to the source, the aim is to limit Russia’s oil income, a key source of funding for its war in Ukraine.

“The security service continues to strike at the Russian oil refining infrastructure, which gives the enemy resources for aggression against Ukraine,” the source said.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said it downed 164 Ukrainian drones overnight – 32 over the Krasnodar Krai, where Tuapse is located, as well as 39 over the Black Sea.

Tuapse and Ukraine’s wider campaign against Russian oil

Oil facilities at Tuapse, located in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, have been a frequent target for Ukraine’s growing long-range campaign against Russian oil facilities.

The Tuapse refinery, owned by the Russian oil company Rosneft, has an annual processing capacity of approximately 12 million tons of crude oil. The plant specializes in primary oil refining, producing straight-run gasoline, diesel fuel and fuel oil, with a significant portion exported.

The seaport was one of the targets of a Ukrainian naval drone strike on Sept. 24, with Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) calling the attack a targeted move against “shadow oil exports by the aggressor state of Russia.”

Earlier in July, HUR launched another strike on oil refineries in Tuapse using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

In March, the regional governor confirmed that a major fire broke out and spread over a thousand square meters after one of the gasoline storage tanks caught fire.

President Volodymyr Zelensky previously said Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil infrastructure have reduced Moscow’s refining and fuel output by roughly 20-27%, contributing to fuel shortages and long queues at stations.

Several refineries have been forced offline, prompting Russia to shift production to other plants.

He added that 90-95% of long-range strikes deep inside Russia are now carried out with Ukrainian-made weapons, with only limited use of British Storm Shadow and French SCALP missiles.