Novorossiysk in flames as Kyiv intensifies campaign against Russian energy exports

Key Points:

• Ukraine conducted coordinated strikes over the weekend targeting key Russian energy infrastructure, including the Sheskharis oil terminal in Novorossiysk, the Lukoil NORSI refinery in Nizhny Novgorod, the Baltic port of Primorsk, and a grain-carrying vessel in the Sea of Azov, aiming to reduce Moscow’s oil export revenues amid soaring global energy prices.
• The most significant attack was a drone strike on Novorossiysk’s Sheskharis oil terminal, causing a massive fire at a critical Black Sea export hub, signaling Kyiv’s intensified campaign against Russian energy assets.
• The NORSI refinery in Kstovo, supplying nearly 30% of Moscow’s gasoline and fuel for Russian forces, was also hit by Ukrainian drones, resulting in a large-scale fire and confirmed by Ukrainian drone forces commander Robert Brovdi.
• In the Baltic port of Primorsk, Ukrainian drones struck Transneft’s oil export hub, with conflicting Russian reports about damage, while in the Sea of Azov, a wheat-carrying Volgo-Balt class ship sank after a drone attack, killing two crew members and linked to the transport of stolen Ukrainian grain.
• These strikes occur amid global energy market disruptions caused by the US-Israel conflict with Iran, prompting calls from some EU outliers like Slovakia and Hungary to lift sanctions on Russian energy, though most EU members remain opposed to easing restrictions on Moscow.