Oil exports from Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk were temporarily halted on Friday after a large-scale Ukrainian missile and drone attack, disrupting flows equivalent to 2.2 million barrels per day, about 2% of global supply, according to industry sources.
The strike marked one of Kyiv’s most significant attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in recent months and immediately pushed global oil prices up more than 2% on supply concerns.
Ukraine’s military said it deployed Neptune cruise missiles alongside multiple types of air and sea drones in the overnight operation, describing the attack as part of its broader effort to reduce Russia’s military and economic capabilities.
Kyiv added that it also targeted a refinery in Russia’s Saratov region and a fuel storage site in Engels.
Industry sources said Russian pipeline monopoly Transneft was forced to suspend deliveries to Novorossiysk following the attack.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium briefly halted exports through the nearby Yuzhnaya Ozereevka terminal before resuming operations once an air raid alert was lifted. The CPC plans to load 1.45 million barrels per day from the terminal this month.
Russian officials reported that the attack damaged a docked ship, several apartment buildings and an oil depot, with three crew members from the vessel hospitalized.
The governor of Russia’s Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratyev, said more than 170 personnel and 50 emergency vehicles were deployed to extinguish fires and assist residents.
Local authorities later said the fire at the Sheskharis terminal oil depot had been contained.
Debris from drones also struck parts of Novorossiysk’s port infrastructure. The grain terminal NKHP continued to operate normally, while logistics group Delo reported debris falling on a container terminal without disrupting services.
Maritime security firm Ambrey said a crane and several containers sustained damage, and a non-sanctioned container ship suffered minor collateral impact.
Industry sources told Reuters that two oil berths at the Sheskharis terminal, berths 1 and 1A, which handle tankers of up to 140,000 deadweight tons, were hit.
The Sierra Leone-flagged tanker Arlan was reportedly among the vessels damaged.
Novorossiysk is one of Russia’s most critical oil export hubs. In October, crude shipments through the port’s Sheskharis terminal totaled 3.22 million tonnes, or about 761,000 barrels per day, while oil product exports reached 1.794 million tonnes.
For the first 10 months of the year, crude exports totaled 24.7 million tonnes and oil products nearly 16.8 million tonnes.
Ukraine also claimed the attack destroyed a Russian S-400 air-defence system and a missile storage site, causing a detonation and fire. Reuters said it could not independently confirm those details.
Friday’s strike extends Ukraine’s intensified campaign since August to disrupt Russia’s oil-exporting and refining capacity, targeting ports in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea, major pipeline systems and multiple refineries.
Kyiv argues the strategy is crucial to constraining Moscow’s revenues as the war continues.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
