Ukraine hits Novorossiysk grain terminals and naval base in overnight drone assault
Ukraine's overnight drone and missile assault on Novorossiysk knocked out two grain terminals and damaged the naval base, Russian officials say.
Ukraine launched a large-scale overnight attack on the Russian Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk, targeting both grain export infrastructure and a naval base, according to Russian officials and industry sources.
Russian industry sources said the assault put two major grain terminals out of action. Novorossiysk is a critical hub for Russian grain exports, which are shipped primarily through Black Sea ports. Russia's main grain lobby had warned last month that continued Ukrainian strikes could halt Black Sea grain exports, potentially driving up global prices and worsening food insecurity in Africa and the Middle East.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram that the attack on the Novorossiysk naval base involved drones, missiles, and unmanned boats. Russia relocated part of its Black Sea Fleet to Novorossiysk after repeated Ukrainian strikes on its Crimean bases.
Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev reported that the "massive" wave of attacks killed at least two people, including an eight-year-old child. Novorossiysk Mayor Andrei Kravchenko said four enterprises and more than two dozen residential buildings were damaged. Unverified social media footage showed flames and smoke rising over the city.
The port also handles oil exports, including through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), partly owned by U.S. majors Chevron and Exxon Mobil. There was no indication that CPC infrastructure or tankers were hit. The Financial Times reported Wednesday that Ukraine had paused strikes on CPC-servicing tankers after a U.S. request.
In Crimea, Russian-installed Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said more than three dozen drones were shot down. Separately, a Russian strike caused a fire at a shopping mall in Zaporizhzhia, and an attack on Odesa damaged port infrastructure, according to Ukrainian officials.
Moscow has intensified strikes on Ukrainian logistics and warehouses in response to Kyiv's attacks on Russian energy and port hubs. Zelenskiy said Tuesday that Kyiv had submitted proposals to U.S. negotiators for ending the conflict that began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.