Ukrainian forces launched drone strikes overnight on oil facilities in southern Russia and the occupied Crimean Peninsula, Ukrainian and Russian officials confirmed on Tuesday. The attacks are part of Kyiv's strategy to impose economic costs on Moscow for its full-scale invasion.
Ukraine's General Staff said its forces hit the Grushovaya oil transshipment base near Novorossiysk in Russia's Krasnodar Krai region. The facility is one of the largest hubs for oil and petroleum products in southern Russia. Russian regional authorities acknowledged that a Ukrainian drone sparked a fire at the site, though they reported no casualties. Emergency services deployed 130 rescue workers to extinguish the blaze; the extent of damage was not disclosed.
In the Volgograd region, the Krasny Yar linear production and dispatching station was also struck, according to the General Staff. Governor Andrei Bocharov confirmed a fire broke out but said there were no injuries, without specifying the facility's output.
On the occupied Crimean Peninsula, Ukrainian forces targeted the Semykolodezkaya oil base, which the General Staff described as a storage site for fuel reserves supplying the Russian military. A fire erupted at the facility. Another strike hit an oil depot near Feodosia, also in Crimea.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged fuel supply problems in occupied Crimea, telling reporters: “There are indeed certain problems at the moment. Measures are being taken.” He said the Energy Ministry and other agencies are working on a response.
Civilian Toll in Kharkiv Region
Russian strikes on Tuesday killed three people and wounded ten others in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, local officials reported. Kharkiv regional governor Oleg Synegubov said the city of Chuguiv was hit, with strikes causing fires, damaging at least 18 vehicles, and shattering windows in residential buildings. Kharkiv mayor Igor Terekhov separately reported ten wounded in the city.
Daily Russian attacks on civilian areas have intensified in recent months, and Ukraine has responded with deeper drone strikes into Russian territory, primarily targeting military and energy infrastructure. According to a United Nations estimate published in April, at least 15,850 civilians have been killed in Ukrainian-controlled zones since the invasion began in February 2022, with more than 2,800 killed in Russian-occupied areas. Over 44,800 civilians have been wounded across both zones.
The strikes come as the European Union prepares its 21st sanctions package against Russia. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the proposed round includes 80 new listings targeting Russia's military industrial complex, human rights violators, and propagandists. The package also aims to tighten the oil price cap and address the shadow fleet of tankers used to evade sanctions, as reported in EU Targets Russian Oil Cap, Shadow Fleet, and Soldiers in 21st Sanctions Package.
Ukraine's campaign against Russian energy infrastructure is designed to disrupt logistics and reduce Moscow's revenue from fossil fuel exports. The strikes near Novorossiysk, a major Black Sea port, underscore Kyiv's ability to hit critical nodes in Russia's energy supply chain. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Kharkiv remains dire, with Russian Drone Barrage Hits Kharkiv Residential Area as Attacks Intensify highlighting the ongoing threat to civilians.
