Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse has suspended fuel exports, and its local refinery has halted crude processing after Ukrainian drone strikes on Sunday, Nov. 2 damaged port infrastructure.
According to Reuters, citing industry sources and LSEG ship-tracking data, the Rosneft-controlled refinery, which exports most of its output, stopped operations the following day.
Neither Rosneft nor Russia’s port agency has commented on the incident, but according to multiple reports and official statements, an overnight drone attack sparked major fires and damaged an oil tanker.
Before the attack, Tuapse had been expected to boost oil product exports in November, Reuters reported. LSEG data showed three tankers were loading naphtha, diesel, and fuel oil at the time of the strike.
By Wednesday, all vessels had been moved away from the berths and anchored offshore.
Kyiv has intensified its strikes on Russian energy infrastructure in recent months, aiming to disrupt Moscow’s war economy and reduce the flow of oil revenues funding its invasion.
As for Sunday’s attack, independent Russian outlet Astra reported 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.
Regional authorities confirmed the incident, saying damage was caused by a drone crash. Debris reportedly struck a tanker, damaging its deck superstructure and forcing the crew to evacuate.
A fire broke out on the vessel, and nearby terminal buildings and port infrastructure were also affected.
A Kyiv Post source in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) confirmed the strike, saying that the operation was carried out by the SBU’s Alpha Special Operations Center in coordination with other military units. The source said five drones hit their targets, setting a tanker on fire, disabling four tanker loading stands, and damaging several port facilities.
Tuapse, located in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, has become a frequent target of Ukraine’s long-range campaign against Russian oil infrastructure.
The Rosneft refinery there processes up to 12 million tons of crude oil annually and produces gasoline, diesel fuel, and fuel oil, most of which is exported to China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Turkey.
The facility has been attacked multiple times this year.
A Ukrainian naval drone strike in late September targeted the port in what Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) called an operation against Russia’s “shadow oil exports.”
Another took place in July, and in March, a massive fire broke out at a gasoline storage tank in the area.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said strikes on Russian refineries have reduced Moscow’s refining and fuel production capacity by roughly 20-27%, contributing to shortages and long lines at gas stations. Several facilities have been forced offline, pushing Russia to reroute production.
Zelensky also noted that the vast majority of long-range strikes inside Russia are now conducted with domestically produced weapons, with only limited use of Western-supplied Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles. He said such attacks will continue as part of efforts to weaken Russia’s war economy.
