Ukrainian drones likely attacked the port of Novorossiysk on the night of September 9, sparking a fire at a fuel oil transshipment terminal. Monitoring channels reported the strike. The city’s mayor, Andrey Kravchenko, stated that drone debris fell on the grounds of several businesses. Later, the Ukrainian side reported strikes on the naval base in the city, specifically targeting ships capable of carrying cruise missiles.
GEOINT analysis localizes the strike site
The Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi used geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) to pinpoint the strike site by cross‑referencing published photos and videos with satellite imagery and maps. The analysis showed a drone hit a fuel oil terminal in the Krasnodar Krai region. A fire broke out at the facility, and at least one fuel storage tank was damaged.
Around midnight, residents of Novorossiysk began reporting the sound of drones, the activation of Russian air defenses, and explosions. The Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ began posting videos of the attack on the port, followed by footage of the fire at the terminal.
The Russian Telegram channel Astra reported fires at several business sites and near a residential building. Its analysts used eyewitness footage to identify the burning object as the fuel oil terminal in the city. Astra described this as an OSINT analysis—intelligence based on open‑source information.
The NASA FIRMS satellite system, which detects thermal anomalies and fire hotspots, recorded several fires in Novorossiysk following the nighttime attack. Analysis of eyewitness videos also indicated a fire near a residential building.
Statements from Russian and Ukrainian officials
Mayor Andrey Kravchenko said Russian air defenses repelled a drone attack overnight. According to him, drone debris fell on the grounds of several businesses and near a residential building, with initial reports saying there were no casualties. He later acknowledged that the businesses sustained damage, attributing it to falling debris.
The commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine, Robert Brovdi (call sign Magyar), said Ukrainian forces carried out a combined operation against the Russian naval base in Novorossiysk overnight. He claimed that Russia lost several warships, including missile carriers.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strikes on Novorossiysk and Krasnodar Krai around noon. He said Ukraine hit a terminal used for oil transshipment, naval harbour facilities, and warships, including carriers of Kalibr cruise missiles.
Previous attack on Novorossiysk
The targeted terminal stores and transships fuel oil—a heavy petroleum product—as well as light refined products. It has an annual capacity of approximately 4 million tons. The terminal is owned by the Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port, the largest seaport in Russia.
Previously, on August 12, Ukrainian drones and missiles attacked the same naval base. During that strike, frigates capable of carrying Kalibr missiles were damaged, and operations at three grain terminals in the port were halted.
Russia has relocated a significant portion of its Black Sea Fleet to Novorossiysk in an attempt to protect it from Ukrainian attacks.
Source: Euromaidan Press
