(TUAPSE, KRASNODAR KRAI) – Ukrainian authorities have confirmed that military drone forces struck an oil refinery at Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse, killing at least one person and igniting a fire at one of Moscow’s key export facilities.<\/p>\n
The Ukrainian military’s drone forces commander stated that the strike on the refinery marked the second successful operation against the same facility within a single week. The attack targeted infrastructure that Ukraine’s general staff identifies as critical to funding Moscow’s ongoing war effort.<\/p>\n
According to a statement from Ukraine’s general staff of the armed forces, a previous strike on 16 April was also claimed as part of an effort to disrupt the Russian dictator’s war funding mechanisms. Ukrainian officials have consistently maintained that targeting Russian energy infrastructure is a legitimate military strategy aimed at curtailing the financial resources fuelling the invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n
In remarks addressing international concerns, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that European partners have personally requested that Kyiv scale back attacks on Russian oil exports. President Zelenskyy did not specify which European nations made these appeals but indicated that his response was conditional upon the full reimposition of sanctions on Russian oil.<\/p>\n
“That was his answer to those requests,” officials noted. Currently, those sanctions remain unenforced. Notably, the United States has extended a sanctions waiver until 16 May, permitting oil already loaded onto vessels to be sold. While this waiver remains active, Ukraine’s military actions have continued to target Russian export capabilities.<\/p>\n
Reporting from Moscow, sources confirmed that one man was killed at the seaport and another individual was injured and taken to hospital. The fire resulting from the drone attack damaged port facilities as well as civilian infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Authorities reported that 17 buildings sustained damage, prompting the cancellation of classes at local schools. The previous attack on the same Tuapse port occurred on Thursday, 16 April. That incident involved a massive drone assault that resulted in a large fire which burned for several days before firefighters managed to extinguish it. Two people perished in that earlier strike: a 14 year old girl and a young woman. Seven other individuals were injured.<\/p>\n
Ukraine has increasingly directed its long range strike capabilities against Russia’s oil export infrastructure. Four major Russian ports located in western and southwestern Russia have been targeted, including Tuapse and Novorossiysk on the Black Sea, as well as Primorsk and Ust Luga on the Baltic Sea. One of the largest oil refineries in the country has also been struck.<\/p>\n
This campaign aims to prevent Russia from profiting from high global oil prices, revenue that directly finances the war against Ukraine. Al Jazeera English noted that Russia could have generated even greater revenue had it been capable of exporting larger volumes of crude, though this ongoing disruption also contributes to instability in global oil markets.<\/p>\n