Camilla Jessen
Russia faces one of its largest drone assaults yet.
A large overnight drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk has disrupted operations at one of the country’s most important oil export facilities.
Local authorities in Krasnodar Krai said the strike ignited a fire at the Sheskharis oil terminal, a key node in Russia’s energy infrastructure.
The incident, part of what Moscow described as one of the largest Ukrainian drone raids to date, also caused damage across parts of the port city.
Oil hub ablaze
Regional emergency teams reported that falling debris from the interception of incoming drones struck the Sheskharis terminal, setting an oil depot on fire shortly after midnight on November 14.
Crews brought the blaze under control within two hours, and officials said there were no casualties at the terminal.
Built in 1964, Sheskharis serves as a central facility for receiving, storing and shipping crude oil and petroleum products.
The complex, which includes 30 crude tanks and additional storage for fuel oil and diesel, is owned by the state pipeline operator Transneft.
It is one of the main gateways for exporting Urals crude by sea and supports deliveries to refineries across Krasnodar Krai.
Civilian vessel hit
Elsewhere in Novorossiysk, a civilian ship moored in the port was damaged during the attack.
Three crew members were injured and taken to hospital. Local authorities said multiple residential buildings were also struck by debris.
In one case, a fourth-floor apartment was pierced by fragments from a downed drone, injuring a man who required medical treatment.
Upper floors of two other buildings sustained structural damage, and windows were shattered across several blocks.
Emergency services deployed more than 170 personnel and over 50 vehicles to manage fires, repairs and evacuations.
Hundreds of drones intercepted
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said its air defenses “intercepted and destroyed” 216 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions during the night.
The largest concentration—66 drones—was reported over Krasnodar Krai.
A further 45 were intercepted over Saratov Oblast, with others shot down over Volgograd, Rostov, Belgorod, Tambov, Bryansk, Voronezh, Nizhny Novgorod and Orenburg.
Additional interceptions included 19 drones over occupied Crimea and 59 over the Black Sea.
Sources: The Krasnodar Krai task force, The Moscow Times
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
