On November 2, an oil tanker and port facilities in the city of Tuapse, on the banks of Russia's Black Sea, were damaged and caught fire overnight due to an attack by a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the authorities of the Krasnodar region in southern Russia said.
In Tuapse port, debris from the UAVs fell on an oil tanker, damaging the deck and upper structure, the local government said on Telegram.
According to Krasnodar authorities, a fire broke out fiercely on the ship, and all crew members were evacuated immediately.
Broken from the UAVs also damaged an apartment building in the village of Sosnovyi, near Tuapse, but no casualties were reported. A small part of the railway terminal in Tuapse was also slightly damaged, the report said.
Tuapse Port is the location of the Tuapse Black Sea oil export station and the Tuapse refinery controlled by Rosneft (Russia). Both have been targets of UAV attacks by Ukraine this year.
This is also an important focal point in the south, helping Russia export crude oil and refined products to international markets. Experts warn that any disruption in this area could affect export flows.
In recent months, Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian refineries, fuel depots and pipelines to put pressure on supplies, disrupt military logistics and increase costs for attacks.
The Zelensky administration called it a campaign in retaliation for Russian airstrikes on Ukraine's power grid.
