Major Russian oil terminal in Novorossiysk on fire following reported Ukrainian drone strikes

Editor’s Note: This is a developing story.

Ukrainian drones struck the Russian port city of Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai, on Nov. 14, damaging an oil terminal and sparking a large fire, multiple Russian Telegram channels and local officials reported.

The attack hit the Sheskharis oil complex, where infrastructure facilities were damaged and a blaze broke out. The facility is a major oil export terminal that serves as the endpoint for pipelines run by Russia’s state-run Transneft, the world’s largest oil pipeline company.

The Krasnodar Krai operational headquarters reported the hit at the oil terminal and said several coastal facilities had been damaged in the attack. Officials claimed the fire at the Sheskharis complex had been extinguished.

Russian state media RIA Novosti also resported that a civilian vessel in the port was hit during the mass UAV strike, leaving three crew members injured.

Russian air defense units shot down 66 drones over Krasnodar Krai overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The Kyiv Independent could not confirm these claims at the time of publication.

Andrii Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, commented on the attack on social media.

“This is the oil terminal in Novorossiysk after the strike,” he wrote on Telegram. “Meanwhile, Russia is hitting residential buildings and energy infrastructure.”

The strike on Novorossiysk came as Russia pounded Kyiv with waves of drones and missiles during a massive attack that left at least 14 people injured and a dozen apartment buildings in flames.

Novorossiysk, a key hub for Russia’s Black Sea logistics and energy infrastructure, has been repeatedly targeted in Ukrainian strikes. Kyiv considers Russian oil refineries and petrochemical facilities to be valid military targets as they help fund Moscow’s war efforts.