First Attack on Russian Oil Exports: Ukraine Strikes Russian Naval Vessel

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Ukraine has made an unprecedented move in its conflict with Russia by launching a drone strike on a Russian naval vessel near the port of Novorossiysk. This attack on the oil export infrastructure that supports Moscow’s invasion marks a significant escalation in the war.

The Ukrainian security services, along with the country’s navy, carried out the drone strikes in the vicinity of the port of Novorossiysk. Novorossiysk, located east of Crimea which was annexed by Russia in 2014, is a major navy base and oil-exporting port.

Videos circulating on social media, although unverified, show a naval vessel listing to its side as it is being towed back to port. Ukraine’s armed forces have also released footage from a camera mounted on a sea drone, capturing the moment it approached a vessel during the night.

Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesperson for the military administration in the Ukrainian port of Odesa, confirmed the damage caused by the drone attack, stating that the large amphibious ship Olenegorsky Gornyak was affected.

This attack follows a series of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s grain export infrastructure, revealing a dangerous tit-for-tat as both countries target each other’s main sources of export income.

While the US has tolerated Ukrainian strikes on Russian soil, as long as western-supplied weapons are not used, the attack on oil export infrastructure is likely to raise concerns in the White House and other western capitals.

Novorossiysk is Russia’s primary Black Sea oil port, responsible for exporting approximately 600,000 barrels per day. It is also a key export point for oil from Kazakhstan. Although a temporary ban on ship movements has been implemented, tankers at berth continue to load and there has been no damage to the pipeline’s infrastructure.

Russia has claimed to have repelled the attack, stating that Ukrainian armed forces attempted to target the Novorossiysk naval base with unmanned boats, but were destroyed by Russian ships guarding the base.

The mayor of Novorossiysk praised the quick response of the crews of the Olenegorsky Gornyak and Suvorovets ships in averting the consequences of the drone boat attack.

According to Russia’s Interfax news agency, there were no casualties or destruction as a result of the attacks. The market reaction to the attack was relatively muted, with Brent crude prices edging up slightly.

Ukraine has conducted previous sea and aerial strikes on military targets in or near Crimea, as well as on Russian soil, since the start of the war. Moscow has also experienced drone attacks, including two in its central business district, in recent weeks.