A drone attack on the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, Russia, on Monday ignited a fire at the Sheskharis oil terminal.
Strike on Russian Infrastructure
A fire broke out at an oil terminal in Novorossiysk, a strategic Russian port on the Black Sea, following a nighttime drone attack, according to Bloomberg, citing NASA satellite imagery analysis.
Satellite Imagery Confirms Fire
NASA FIRMS satellite imagery from Monday shows a fire burning at the port, specifically at the Shescharis oil terminal, which belongs to the Russian state-owned company Transneft.
Transneft Remains Silent
Transneft did not respond to Bloomberg’s request for comment regarding the incident.
Damage Reported by Local Governor
Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratiev reported via Telegram that eight buildings were damaged in the drone attack on the port city. He added that debris from the drones was found at several industrial sites, but did not provide further details.
Novorossiysk: A Key Export Hub
Novorossiysk is Russia’s largest port on the Black Sea, with numerous facilities for exporting raw materials and bulk goods. In March, Ukrainian drone attacks previously led to a halt in oil loading there.
Ukraine Targets Russian Oil Exports
Ukraine is aiming to limit Russia’s ability to export oil and profit from global price increases driven by the conflict in the Middle East. In March, Ukrainian drones damaged oil facilities in Russia’s key Baltic ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga.
Russian Oil Exports Decline
Bloomberg reports that repeated drone attacks on port oil facilities caused Russian seaborne oil exports to fall to their lowest level in two months in March, coinciding with a global supply crisis in the oil market triggered by the war in the Middle East.
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