Russia's Novorossiysk hit by drones and maritime drones
Photo: the source of the fire, as local sources report, has not yet been determined (Getty Images)
On the night of August 12, drones launched a massive attack on the Russian city of Novorossiysk in Krasnodar Krai. The attack has been ongoing for more than five hours, with air defense systems actively operating in the city, and the mayor has confirmed damage to residential buildings caused by falling debris, according to monitoring Telegram channels.
What is known about the attack
According to OSINT monitoring, the drone attack on Novorossiysk has been ongoing for more than five hours — air defense systems are actively operating over the city. The mayor has confirmed that in addition to drones, the attack also involved unmanned maritime vessels. Falling debris has damaged several residential buildings, a commercial structure, and a construction site.
Russian sources also report the possible use of missiles.
Fire and smoke
Eyewitnesses report a fire in the city center following a series of strikes — footage shows air defense fire and subsequent flashes.
Russia's Novorossiysk hit by drones and maritime droneshttps://t.co/wQXKMMUigb pic.twitter.com/pQz1qi0puh
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) August 12, 2026
Local residents are complaining about a strong smell of burning and smoke in central Novorossiysk, though the exact source of the fire has yet to be determined.
Why Novorossiysk specifically?
According to OSINT analysts, one of the possible targets of the attack could have been the port of Novorossiysk — Russia's largest port and a key export hub on the Black Sea. It is also not ruled out that the strike may have been aimed at disrupting a potential massive launch of cruise missiles from Russian carrier vessels that could have been in the area.
Back in July, Reuters reported that night-time vessel traffic in the port was quietly banned — Russia is trying to protect its ships from attacks, although it publicly denies the problem. Earlier, in April, after a nighttime drone attack on the city, a Transneft facility, which services the largest oil tankers, caught fire.
These attacks are already having a tangible economic impact: Russia's average monthly oil exports have dropped to their lowest levels in eight months, with the main reason being the prolonged downtime of the Sheskharis terminal in Novorossiysk.
