Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that military forces struck two oil tankers from the “Shadow Fleet” near the entrance to Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, highlighting Kiev’s continued focus on disrupting Moscow’s energy grid.Zelensky said via the messaging app “Telegram”: “Our warriors continue to implement sanctions on the Russian shadow oil fleet. They struck two ships of this type in the waters at the entrance to the port of Novorossiysk. These tankers were actively used to transport oil – not anymore.”“Ukraine’s long-range capabilities will continue to develop comprehensively – at sea, in the air and on land,” he added.This comes after the Russian Defense Ministry said its air defense systems intercepted 334 Ukrainian drones overnight in about 15 regions, including areas near Moscow and the Leningrad region, home to St. Petersburg.
No injuries were reported.These attacks are part of a broader escalation in the drone war, with Ukraine increasingly striking deep into Russian territory.
Oil infrastructure has been repeatedly targeted
In recent weeks, Ukrainian drones have repeatedly targeted key Russian energy sites. The oil refinery and export terminal in Tuapse, a Black Sea town about 450 kilometers from the front line, was bombed four times in just over two weeks, sparking fires, evacuations and large plumes of smoke.
In a video released after the third attack on April 18, local governor Veniamin Kondratiev showed an emergency official saying that boiling oil products had leaked into the streets, damaging vehicles.Ukraine also said it hit an oil pumping station in Russia’s Perm region – more than 1,500 kilometers away – on two consecutive days. Russian media reported the incident, although regional governor Dmitry Makhonin only confirmed drone strikes on industrial facilities.To the north, Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea, one of Russia’s largest oil and gas export terminals, was bombed three times in one week in late March. The site is located more than 800 kilometers from Ukraine. Weeks later, regional governor Alexander Drozdenko described the area around St. Petersburg as a “frontline zone” due to air threats.Ukraine says these strikes cause huge economic losses. Russia has lost at least $7 billion since the beginning of the year due to attacks on the oil sector, Zelensky said on Friday, adding that exports from major ports such as Ust-Luga and Primorsk have declined.Experts say drone strikes have also disrupted refining capacity, while sanctions complicate efforts to replace damaged equipment. However, the overall impact remains uncertain, as Russia continues to benefit from higher global oil prices.According to the International Energy Agency, Russian crude oil and petroleum product exports rose by 320,000 barrels per day in March to 7.1 million barrels, with revenues nearly doubling from $9.7 billion to $19 billion.
Casualties have been reported in Ukraine
Meanwhile, officials said on Sunday that Russian strikes in southern Ukraine killed one person and injured four others. In Kherson, a Russian drone hit a private company car, killing a man and wounding four people, including a 63-year-old woman.The previous day, two people were killed when a Russian drone struck a minibus in the same city, according to local officials.The two sides have dramatically intensified their drone warfare in recent months.
Russia has launched large-scale drone attacks on Ukraine almost every night since its 2022 invasion, while Kiev has intensified its retaliatory strikes.Data analyzed by AFP shows that Russia deployed a record 6,583 long-range drones in April, surpassing the previous record set in March. In late March alone, Russia said it destroyed 389 Ukrainian drones in one day.Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, little progress has been made towards ending the conflict. Russia proposed a ceasefire on May 9, on the occasion of its victory celebrations in World War II, while Ukraine says it is still reviewing the proposal.
