Suspected Ukrainian Naval Drones Hit Russian Oil Facilities in Black Sea

A Ukrainian drone strike on the Russian Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk on Wednesday killed two people and wounded several others, regional officials said.

Krasnodar region Governor Venyamin Kondratyev said the attack hit the city center in broad daylight, damaging five residential buildings and a beachfront hotel.

Emergency officials confirmed two deaths and seven injuries, including a child. The office of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), a Russian-Kazakh oil venture that operates an oil terminal in the city, was struck, injuring two employees, according to CPC.

Novorossiysk Mayor Andrey Kravchenko declared a local state of emergency following the attack.

Novorossiysk, a key Black Sea hub for oil and grain exports, reported no damage to port infrastructure or ships, according to state news agency Tass. Kazakhstan, which relies on CPC as its main oil export route, added that oil loading at the terminal continued on schedule despite the incident.

Open-source reports suggest that Ukrainian drone boats may have been used in the Novorossiysk attack.

Ukrainian forces conducted an operation against the Russian naval and commercial port of Novorossiysk. Apparently, naval USVs were also used during the attack. pic.twitter.com/hyGEntXYus

— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) September 24, 2025

Declared as a new group of Ukrainian naval drones in the port of Novorossiysk. Needs confirmation. pic.twitter.com/eCJAMq3hKy

— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) September 24, 2025

In a separate strike, Tuapse, a major oil export port on Russia’s Black Sea coast, was also targeted, in an attack also believed to have been carried out by Ukrainian naval drones.

The port of Tuapse today, the moment a Ukrainian naval drone struck the oil loading pier. pic.twitter.com/La7uAs0lzp

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) September 24, 2025

Militarnyi reported that the port of Tuapse is a key hub for southern Russia’s oil exports, and damage there could disrupt supply logistics and increase risks for maritime transport in the region.

Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russia’s oil infrastructure, targeting facilities it says are critical to Moscow’s war effort. Earlier this month, Ukrainian drones hit the Novo-Ufa refinery in Bashkortostan, and the Kirishi refinery, one of Russia’s largest oil refineries in the Leningrad region.