Ukraine is increasingly attacking Russia’s oil industry.Image: X
April 20, 2026, 07:42April 20, 2026, 07:42
At least one person has died in a new Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea port of Tuapse in the Krasnodar region. Another person was injured, wrote Governor Veniamin Kondratiev on the Telegram platform. There was a fire in the port and drone debris damaged buildings in the city, including a school and a kindergarten. The Kyiv Independent portal, citing local residents, reported explosions, two burning tanks at the refinery and high flames in the port area.
The port was the target of a Ukrainian attack last week. Ukraine has been defending itself against a large-scale Russian invasion with Western help for more than four years. As part of its defensive campaign, it is increasingly attacking Russia’s oil industry, which is important for Moscow’s financing of the war. The number of victims and the extent of the damage are disproportionate to the devastating consequences of Russian attacks in Ukraine.
Rosneft’s Tuapse Oil Depot and Export Facility in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, is currently ablaze, with dozens of tanks seen burning as thick black smoke pours into the sky, following a large-scale drone attack tonight by Ukraine against oil infrastructure across Southern Russia. pic.twitter.com/ZmtlLljYiI
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 20, 2026
On the Black Sea, Tuapse is one of the most important ports for Russian oil exports. There is also a refinery here that belongs to the largest Russian oil company, Rosneft. Tuapse is located about 75 kilometers northwest of the large city of Sochi.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure had resulted in a loss of at least $2.3 billion in revenue from oil sales. The Kyiv Independent reported that drone attacks and the seizure of oil tankers from the so-called Russian shadow fleet paralyzed around 40 percent of Russia’s oil export capacity in April. (nil/sda/dpa)