Ukrainian attacks halt oil shipments from Russia's Tuapse port, navy says
Photo: Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy (facebook.com/Taclbery)
Ukrainian Armed Forces' strikes on Russia’s oil sector not only reduce the Kremlin’s funding for the war but also undermine the foundations of the Russian main revenue-generating industry, says Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy.
Following a series of massive Ukrainian drone attacks on the Tuapse oil refinery and the adjacent Rosneft marine terminal, oil shipments from there have ceased.
"Last month, Tuapse didn't ship any oil at all. Given that about 20% of Russian oil was shipped from here by tankers, this is a serious matter. And the port of Tuapse is the largest in Russia," Pletenchuk notes.
The Navy spokesperson points out that this is not just a loss of revenue that would have allowed Russia to finance the war. It’s also about the technological consequences for the entire industry.
Oil production has its own peculiarities, so you can’t just stop production simply because there’s nowhere to ship the oil. A chain reaction could occur that would affect the industry as a whole.
"The loss of such export opportunities will affect the overall picture. Because you can’t just divert this oil, for example, to the port of Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea. It doesn’t work that way. This infrastructure was built over decades, and it was designed for stable operation and a stable supply of oil. And that’s not the case," Pletenchuk explains.
Strikes on Tuapse refinery
The Tuapse Oil Refinery is Russia’s only oil refinery on the Black Sea coast. Its capacity is approximately 12 million tons of oil per year. The complex is a vital production and logistics hub that links the extraction, refining, and export of Russian oil.
On May 1, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched another strike on Russia’s Tuapse oil refinery. A massive fire broke out on the refinery grounds following the explosions.
Before this, on April 30, new satellite images showing the aftermath of previous strikes on the refinery were revealed. They clearly reveal the extent of the serious damage to the infrastructure.
In addition, on April 28, Ukrainian drones launched a triple strike on the oil terminal in Tuapse. A massive fire engulfed new storage tanks, and residents had to be evacuated. In total, 24 storage tanks have already been destroyed, and the plant’s operations have effectively been suspended.
And on the night of May 27, units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces again struck the Tuapse oil refinery. A fire and smoke were reported on the plant’s premises.
