A major Russian oil export terminal on the Black Sea caught fire overnight following a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack, authorities and satellite data indicated, in the latest strike on infrastructure critical to Moscow’s energy revenues.
The Sheskharis terminal near the port of Novorossiysk, the largest oil loading facility in southern Russia, was hit during the attack in the early hours of Monday, Bloomberg reported.
Ukraine has targeted ports and terminals that handle a significant share of Russia’s seaborne crude shipments and fuel supplies since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has caused global oil prices to surge, giving Moscow an unexpected windfall.
Krasnodar region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said Ukrainian drones had attacked Novorossiysk, damaging several residential buildings. He did not confirm a hit on the terminal, saying only that drone debris had been found on the grounds of several enterprises.
Videos circulating on social media appeared to show a fire at the Sheskharis facility. This footage could not be independently verified.
Operated by state pipeline monopoly Transneft, the terminal is the southern endpoint of Russia’s oil pipeline system and handles between 3.5 million and 4.5 million tons of crude per month — roughly 1 million barrels per day, or up to 20% of Russia’s seaborne oil exports. It also loads fuel oil and diesel.
Ukraine’s military has previously said the facility supports Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.
The terminal has been targeted multiple times in recent months. A March 2 drone strike caused a fire at the site, while a November 2025 attack damaged an oil depot and a berth operated by Chernomortransneft.
Ukraine has in recent weeks stepped up drone strikes on Russian ports and energy infrastructure, particularly in the Baltic Sea.
Attacks on the ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk forced temporary suspensions of oil and fuel shipments.
As a result, Russia’s total oil exports fell by 43% in the week of March 22-29 to 2.318 million barrels per day, down from 4.072 million bpd a week earlier, according to Bloomberg calculations. Only 22 tankers were dispatched during the period, 15 fewer than the previous week.
Exports from Primorsk, Russia’s main Baltic oil port with capacity of around 1 million bpd, dropped to four tankers from 10 the week before, while shipments from Ust-Luga fell to just two.
The disruption cost Russia an estimated $1 billion in lost oil and fuel revenues for the week, Bloomberg reported.
Ust-Luga accounts for about 8% of global naphtha exports, and shipments of the petrochemical feedstock from the port fell by roughly 70% in the final week of March following the attacks, the Financial Times reported.
Read this story in Russian at The Moscow Times' Russian service.
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