Ukrainian Drone Strike Disrupts Fuel Exports at Russian Black Sea Port

Fuel exports from the Russian Black Sea port of Tuapse have been halted, and the local oil refinery has ceased crude processing following a drone strike by Ukraine that damaged the port’s infrastructure, as reported by Reuters on Wednesday.

Prior to the attack on Sunday, it was anticipated that the port would boost fuel exports in November.

However, shipping data analyzed by the news agency indicated that as of Wednesday, tankers had vacated their docks and were anchored offshore.

On the day of the November 2 attack, three tankers were reportedly at the port preparing to load naphtha, diesel, and fuel oil.

The refinery, which is operated by Rosneft and has a refining capacity of 240,000 barrels per day, stopped its operations on Monday due to damage sustained at the port, according to two industry sources quoted by Reuters. This facility predominantly supplies markets in China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Turkey.

Following the attack, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, warned of potential long-term repercussions for Russia’s shipping sector, emphasizing that this strike would harm crucial technological infrastructure, impact refueling services, elevate insurance costs, and deter many from using the ports.

Russia has consistently accused Ukraine of heightening assaults on energy infrastructure, while Kyiv asserts that facilities linked to fuel supply are legitimate military targets supporting the Russian armed forces.

Rosneft and the federal port authority of Russia did not reply to requests for comments.