Ukraine's Drone Strikes Force Russia’s Tuapse Port and Refinery to Halt Operations

Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse has suspended fuel exports, and the local Rosneft-controlled refinery halted crude processing following Ukrainian drone strikes on November 2.

Kyiv said the attacks targeted one of Russia’s key oil ports, causing a fire and damaging at least one vessel, as part of efforts to disrupt Russia’s war economy by hitting energy infrastructure, The Caspian Post reports via foreign media.

The regional administration confirmed the strike triggered a fire at the port.

Ukraine has carried out repeated strikes on Russian oil refineries, depots, and pipelines for several months, while Russia has targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the nearly four-year conflict.

Industry sources noted that the Tuapse refinery, which exports the majority of its products, suspended operations the day after the attack due to damage at the port. Rosneft and Russia’s port agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Before the incident, Tuapse had been scheduled to increase oil product exports in November. LSEG tracking data showed three tankers docked at the port during the strike, loaded with naphtha, diesel, and fuel oil. By November 5, all vessels had been moved off the berths and anchored nearby.

The export-oriented Tuapse refinery has a processing capacity of 240,000 barrels of oil per day and produces naphtha, fuel oil, vacuum gasoil, and high-sulphur diesel. It primarily supplies China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Türkiye and has been targeted by drone attacks multiple times before.