Russia’s largest port resumes operations after Ukrainian strikes – Reuters
Illustrative photo: the Sheskharis oil terminal in Novorossiysk (Getty Images)
On Thursday, April 9, Russia resumed exports of crude oil from the Sheskharis terminal in the port of Novorossiysk, which had previously been halted due to a drone attack and a fire, according to Reuters.
This terminal, which typically ships about 700,000 barrels of oil per day, is a key Black Sea export hub for the aggressor state. The previous drone attack led to a five-day suspension of oil shipments.
One berth is currently operating there, and a tanker carrying 80,000 tonnes is expected to depart today.
Sources told the agency that on April 9, the port also resumed fuel oil loading. In addition, there was one diesel shipment from the port earlier this week.
At the same time, the timeline for a full restoration of the port’s operations remains unclear.
Drone strike on Novorossiysk
On the night of April 5, drones attacked Novorossiysk. Videos circulated online showing a fire at the Sheskharis terminal and reports of explosions. An object belonging to Transneft, which services some of the largest oil tankers, also caught fire.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed that on the night of April 7, Ukrainian forces again struck an oil terminal in the port of Ust-Luga, located on the Baltic Sea.
In addition, drone strikes forced the aggressor state to temporarily suspend oil shipments through both ports — Primorsk and Ust-Luga. The infrastructure suffered significant damage, and fires broke out at the facilities.
RBC-Ukraine previously reported that Western partners had asked Ukraine to stop strikes on Russian oil terminals. However, Kyiv continues to act in line with its own national interests.
