Ukraine drone strikes hit Russia's Novorossiysk oil hub, spark fires
Ukraine says it struck loading stands at the Sheskharis terminal near Novorossiysk, while Moscow says drones damaged the Caspian Pipeline Consortium's Black Sea facility. The attacks target two of Russia's key export gateways, threatening crude throughput and global oil flows.
Apr 6, 2026, 11:20 AM EDT
Why it matters:
- The strikes hit two of Russia's biggest Black Sea export gateways, threatening crude throughput and global oil flows.
Driving the news:
- Ukraine's military said drones struck oil loading infrastructure at the Sheskharis terminal near Novorossiysk, damaging six of seven loading stands and sparking large fires. - Russia's defence ministry said Ukrainian drones hit the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal at Yuzhnaya Ozereevka, damaging the single-point mooring, loading infrastructure and four large storage tanks. - Industry sources told Reuters a fire broke out overnight at Sheskharis, engulfing Transneft's main pier near berths 1, 1a and 2.
By the numbers:
- Sheskharis typically loads 600,000–700,000 barrels per day of crude and exported 19.8 million tons of oil products last year. - Berth 1 can service tankers up to 250,000 metric tons deadweight; Berth 2 up to 90,000 tons. - CPC's Yuzhnaya Ozereevka terminal handles about 80% of Kazakhstan's crude exports and roughly 1.5% of global oil supply.
State of play:
- Ukraine did not immediately comment on the CPC facility, and Reuters could not independently verify Moscow's claim. - CPC declined to comment; Transneft did not reply to a request for comment. - The impact on loading operations at Sheskharis was not immediately clear.
What they're saying:
- Russia's defence ministry said Kyiv "deliberately attacked" CPC facilities to inflict economic damage on its largest shareholders, including U.S. and Kazakh energy companies.
What to watch:
- Whether Transneft and CPC restore full loading capacity and how quickly berths and the SPM are repaired. - Any spill or environmental impact from the fires and damaged infrastructure.
The bottom line:
- The dual strikes on Sheskharis and CPC could dent Russia's Black Sea export capacity and tighten global oil supply in the short term.