A Ukrainian drone attacked the Black Sea port of Tuapse: what are the consequences?
20 April 09:36
At least one person was killed and another wounded as a result of a new Ukrainian drone strike on the Russian Black Sea port of Tuapse in the Krasnodar Krai, Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratyev reported on the morning of Monday, April 20, according to "Komersant Ukrainian", citing Russian propaganda media.
According to the official, a fire broke out at the port, and debris from the drones damaged city buildings.
The Kyiv Independent, citing local residents, reported explosions, two burning oil refinery tanks, and high flames in the port area. The port had already been the target of a Ukrainian strike last week.
The Strategic Importance of Tuapse
For over four years, Ukraine has been defending itself against a large-scale Russian invasion with Western support. As part of its defense, it is increasingly striking Russia’s oil industry, which is a key source of funding for the war. The number of casualties and the scale of damage from these strikes are incomparable to the devastating consequences of Russian attacks on Ukraine.
Tuapse is one of Russia’s most important ports for oil exports on the Black Sea. It is also home to an oil refinery owned by Russia’s largest oil company, Rosneft. The city is located approximately 75 kilometers northwest of Sochi.
Russia’s losses from Ukrainian strikes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated yesterday that Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s oil infrastructure have resulted in the loss of at least $2.3 billion in oil sales revenue. In April, as a result of drone strikes and the seizure of tankers from Russia’s “shadow fleet,” approximately 40 percent of Russia’s oil export capacity was put out of commission.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, on the night of April 19–20, air defense forces shot down 112 Ukrainian aircraft-type drones over Russia. The drones were intercepted and destroyed over the Astrakhan, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kaluga, and Kursk regions, as well as over the Krasnodar Krai, the annexed Crimea, and the Azov and Black Seas, the ministry specified.
