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Ukraine hit a major oil terminal in the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, sparking a fire and damaging key infrastructure, even as deadly Russian strikes rained down on Kyiv, CNN reported.
The depot, one of Russia's largest oil export facilities, was targeted by Ukrainian forces in an attack acknowledged by officials from both countries that highlights Kyiv's escalating efforts to target a key source of war revenue for Russia. Ukraine's General Staff said the strike damaged "valuable" infrastructure at both the port and the oil terminal, as well as a launcher from Russia's S-400 air defence system. Ukrainian weapons were used in the attack on Novorossiysk, including long-range Neptune missiles and various types of strike UAVs, the General Staff added. Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine had fired its domestically produced long-range Neptune cruise missiles at Russian targets, though he did not specify the locations, as per CNN. "This is our entirely justified response to the ongoing Russian terror," Zelensky said in a social media post. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said this week that Ukraine was "increasing the effectiveness" of the use of domestic long-range weapons, including Neptune and Flamingo missiles, as well as jet drones. Earlier, a source within the Security Service of Ukraine said forces struck the "second-largest oil export centre in Russia," damaging oil tankers, pipeline infrastructure and pumping stations, according to CNN. The operation ignited a "major" fire at the facility, which remained burning on Friday morning, according to the source, who added that anti-aircraft missile systems were also hit. The Russian governor of Krasnodar Krai, Veniamin Kondratiev, confirmed the strike on the Novorossiysk oil depot, claiming that fragments of downed Ukrainian drones had hit the oil depot. Kondratiev reported that at least four people were wounded as a result of Ukraine's attack on the port city, adding that at least four apartment buildings and two private homes had been damaged. A state of emergency has been declared there, he said. Russia's defence ministry said it intercepted a total of 216 Ukrainian drones overnight. At the same time, Kyiv endured another intense wave of Russian aerial attacks. Local authorities said at least seven people were killed and dozens were injured in the capital. Among the dead was a married couple, aged 71 and 73, according to Kyiv police. In southern Ukraine, two more people were killed Friday morning in a Russian strike on the Black Sea city of Chornomorsk, the head of the Odesa regional military administration said. (ANI)
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