Novorossiysk came under a drone attack overnight on March 2, igniting the Sheskharis oil terminal, one of the country’s largest export facilities and a site with strategic significance, The Moscow Times reported.
A series of blasts rattled the Black Sea port city late on March 1. The first reports of “pops” surfaced in local social media around 10:50 p.m. Kyiv time. Soon after, a fire broke out in the port area, engulfing the Sheskharis oil terminal, a major complex in southern Russia that plays a strategic role in handling crude and petroleum products.
The Krasnodar region’s operational headquarters said debris from downed drones damaged six apartment buildings and five private homes. Mayor Andrey Kravchenko announced road closures along the waterfront; local authorities did not report additional damage.
Russian media said the attack came from both the air and the sea. The facility sits roughly 345 kilometers (214 miles) from the front line.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses destroyed 172 fixed-wing drones overnight, including 67 over the Black Sea and 66 over the Krasnodar region. Drones were also reported over Crimea and the Belgorod, Kursk and Astrakhan regions.
The strikes disrupted air travel across southern Russia. In Krasnodar, 17 departures were delayed and eight canceled. In Sochi, 68 flights were delayed and eight canceled, including international routes to Istanbul, Tel Aviv and Dubai. In Gelendzhik, one arrival and one departure were canceled.
Sheskharis has been targeted before. In November 2025, an oil depot, a Chernomortransneft berth and the NUTEP container terminal were damaged. Ukraine’s General Staff has said the site is used to support Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.
