“Agents of our movement carried out a series of sabotage attacks on communication and energy facilities”, Atesh claims

A pro-Ukrainian partisan group says it disrupted Russian air defence systems shortly before a Ukrainian drone strike targeted major oil infrastructure in Novorossiysk.
The claims come after Ukrainian forces reported successful attacks on key Russian fuel and export facilities near the Black Sea.

Sabotage operation

According to The Kyiv Independent, the Atesh partisan movement said its agents carried out sabotage attacks in the Novorossiysk area ahead of the May 23 drone strike.

The group claimed it targeted communication towers and a transformer substation used to support Russian military coordination and air defence operations.

“Agents of our movement carried out a series of sabotage attacks on communication and energy facilities,” the group said in a Telegram statement.

Atesh claimed the disruption weakened Russia’s ability to detect and respond to low-flying drones.

Air defence disrupted

According to The Kyiv Independent, the group said several stationary radar systems lost stable operation after power supplies were damaged.

“(Drone) reconnaissance on the outskirts of Novorossiysk was effectively blinded,” the statement read.

The partisans alleged that Russian air defence units struggled to react in time during the attack.

Oil infrastructure hit

Ukraine’s General Staff previously confirmed strikes on the Sheskharis oil terminal and the Grushovaya oil depot in Novorossiysk.

According to The Kyiv Independent, Ukrainian forces also targeted the tanker “Chrysalis,” which Kyiv described as part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet.

Fires were reportedly recorded at both oil facilities following the attacks.

The Grushovaya depot is considered one of the largest oil storage facilities in the Caucasus region.

Strategic importance

According to Ukrainian military officials, the depot plays a role in supplying fuel and petroleum products to Russian forces.

The site also serves as a major export hub connected to pipelines operated by Transneft, Russia’s state-controlled oil pipeline company.

Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian fuel infrastructure as part of efforts to disrupt military logistics and energy exports linked to the war effort.

Sources: The Kyiv Independent

This article is made and published by Lauge Risom Koch, who may have used AI in the preparation