Ukrainian Drone Strike Ignites Russian Oil Tanker in Black Sea

A Ukrainian drone attack set fire to a Russian oil tanker and damaged loading facilities at the Tuapse port on the Black Sea, in one of Kyiv’s latest strikes targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure.

Regional emergency services said in a statement on Telegram that debris from the drone damaged the vessel’s deck, forcing the crew to evacuate. The fire was later contained, though operations at the port were temporarily disrupted.

The Tuapse oil refinery and its adjacent loading terminal are operated by Rosneft, Russia’s state oil company. The port handles about 17 million tons of petroleum products annually, including fuel oil, naphtha, and diesel refined at Rosneft’s plants in Tuapse, Saratov, Achinsk, and Samara, according to company data.

The refinery itself has a processing capacity of roughly 240,000 barrels per day. Rosneft’s press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent via WhatsApp outside regular business hours.

The strike is part of a broader Ukrainian campaign aimed at disrupting Russia’s energy logistics, from refineries and storage depots to crude pipelines and export terminals. In recent months, Ukraine has intensified cross-border drone operations as the Kremlin has escalated attacks on Ukraine’s gas and power grids ahead of winter.

On Saturday, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said it had also targeted a fuel pipeline near Moscow, describing the operation as “a serious blow” to Russia’s military supply lines.

The attack comes weeks after the United States imposed new sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, deepening financial pressure on Moscow’s energy industry amid the collapse of the latest peace efforts led by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The U.S. measures target Russian oil exports and energy logistics networks, complicating Moscow’s ability to reroute crude shipments through alternative ports.

The Black Sea has become a flashpoint in the conflict, serving as a key corridor for both Russian oil exports and Ukrainian drone operations. Analysts warn that continued attacks on refineries and shipping infrastructure risk further destabilizing global energy markets as winter approaches.