A nighttime drone attack on the Russian port of Novorossiysk caused a fire, damaging buildings and injuring eight people, according to reports.
Fire Erupts After Drone Attack
Bloomberg reported a fire broke out at the key Russian port of Novorossiysk following a nighttime drone attack. The agency based its findings on analysis of images from NASA’s FIRMS system, which tracks fire locations globally.
Bloomberg confirmed the fire encompassed areas within the Novorossiysk port.
Oil Terminal Targeted
The fire occurred in an area of the port on the Black Sea that houses the Sheskharis oil terminal, belonging to the Russian state-owned company Transneft. Transneft did not respond to a request for comment, according to Bloomberg.
Active fires were reported in the port between 1:57 a.m. and 3:35 a.m. local time.
Damage and Casualties Reported
Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratiev stated via Telegram that six residential buildings and two homes were damaged in the drone attack. Eight people, including two children, were injured.
Debris from the drones was found on several industrial sites, though further details were not disclosed. Ukraine has not yet commented on the incident.
Ukrainian Military Claims Attacks on Naval Targets
The Ukrainian military reported attacking a Russian warship in the port of Novorossiysk, as well as a drilling platform in the Black Sea near Crimea, during the night of April 5-6. The information was provided by the commander of drone forces in Kyiv, Robert Brovdi.
Brovdi stated via Telegram that the attack targeted the missile cruiser Admirał Makarov.
Key Export Hub Disrupted
Novorossiysk is Russia’s largest port on the Black Sea and a major hub for exporting raw materials and bulk goods. In early March, Ukrainian drone attacks previously led to a halt in loading operations there.
A March 2 attack damaged port infrastructure, warships, and air defense systems, reportedly destroying six of seven oil loading arms. According to Bloomberg, repeated strikes on Russian oil ports caused a drop in Russian oil exports by sea to a two-month low in March.
