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FINWIRES

Tuapse Oil Export Hub Hit Again as Ukrainian Strikes Threaten Russian Crude Exports

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A renewed Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's strategic Black Sea port terminal of Tuapse resulted in a fire at

on Wednesday, with no details on whether this would impact refined product exports through this key maritime trade route.

According to an official statement published on Telegram by the Krasnodar Region operational headquarters, the blaze at the coastal terminal facility was triggered by falling debris from intercepted Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles.

The regional authorities confirmed that more than 80 emergency response personnel and 25 pieces of specialized industrial equipment, including tactical units from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, were deployed to extinguish the fire.

The latest overnight strike underscores an intensifying campaign by Kyiv to deprive Russia of energy export income that is helping to fund Russia's war on Ukraine, by targeting critical energy logistics infrastructure.

The asset complex in the Tuapse Municipal District functions as a highly integrated production and export facility operated by state energy giant Rosneft.

The disruption follows a string of far more serious strikes in April and early May that have already crippled operations at the 12-million-ton annual capacity hub.

A multi-wave bombardment in April caused extensive, structural damage to the facility, destroying 24 critical fuel storage tanks, fracturing key downstream pipelines, and forcing a complete suspension of refining due to an inability to safely load product onto tankers.

The previous hits also triggered a severe localized environmental crisis, causing crude oil to leak directly into the Black Sea and releasing dense smoke and fumes.

The US has relaxed export sanctions on Russian crude oil in the wake of the Iran war, enabling buyers such as India to maintain imports from that origin without facing tariffs on its own exports to the US.

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