Key facts
- Russia suspended crude oil exports from its main Black Sea terminal in Novorossiysk on August 14.
- The suspension followed a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on August 12 that damaged the Sheskharis terminal.
- The Sheskharis terminal processes around 700,000 barrels of crude oil daily.
- An 8-year-old boy was killed and eight others injured in the drone attack on Novorossiysk.
- A separate Ukrainian drone strike on August 11 shut down the Orsk oil refinery, with repairs expected to take up to six months.
Russia has suspended crude oil exports from its primary Black Sea terminal in Novorossiysk following a significant Ukrainian drone attack that damaged port infrastructure. The Sheskharis terminal, which handles approximately 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, ceased operations on August 14 due to drone threats and damage sustained from an overnight strike on August 12.
Sources cited by Reuters indicated that a tanker departed without its cargo amid the alert, and loading operations were halted. The terminal also stopped receiving oil as storage capacity was reached. Loadings from Novorossiysk had been robust, reaching nearly 1 million barrels per day in July.
In a separate incident, a Ukrainian drone strike on August 11 completely shut down Russia's Orsk oil refinery in Orenburg Oblast. Repairs for the Orsk refinery, which has an annual capacity of 6 million tonnes, are estimated to take up to six months due to damaged infrastructure and reliance on imported equipment. Local authorities are preparing for potential fuel supply issues in the region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed responsibility for the Novorossiysk operation, which involved jet-powered drones, anti-ship missiles, and naval drones, targeting air defense, piers, and port infrastructure. The attack resulted in the death of an 8-year-old boy and injuries to eight others. Zelensky vowed to continue strikes on Russian ports in retaliation for missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, stating that Russian maritime assets would not be safe.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakaharova rejected Kyiv's offer of a truce in the Black Sea, deeming a revival of the grain initiative "ill-advised."