Ukrainian drones launch massive attack on Novorossiysk port
After the attack, the port was closed under the pretext of "training." "Now the question is where the Black Sea Fleet will flee to," Z-channels say.
On the night of August 12, Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale attack on the Russian naval base in the port of Novorossiysk. Following the attack, on August 13, it was announced that the port would be closed for "training exercises." According to Interfax, the movement of ships and other vessels in the port area will be prohibited from August 14.
Novorossiysk has become a key staging point for Russian Black Sea Fleet ships due to the regular shelling of the Sevastopol area by Ukrainian forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement on the evening of August 12 that the attack involved "Palyanitsa" jet drones, "Neptune" missiles, and underwater drones. According to him, "It has been confirmed that air defense positions, berths, and seaport infrastructure were hit." Zelensky noted that this was the first time such a combined attack involving various weapons had been carried out.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed that the frigates Admiral Makarov and Admiral Essen, the small missile ship Buyan-M, and the patrol ship Vasil Bykov were damaged as a result of the strikes.
Acting Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevgeny Khmara commented on the attack, saying that the Ukrainian armed forces had "disabled the Russian military machine." He, like Zelensky, called the operation "unique" and noted that "the combined strike was carried out using missiles, jet drones, and underwater drones."
The Ukrainian intelligence service reported that the strikes targeted the infrastructure of the Grushovaya oil base and the Shesharis oil terminal, Russia's largest terminal on the Black Sea.
The consequences of the attack were captured in high-speed satellite images obtained by the Vantor company. The Russian military-focused Telegram channel "Military Reporter" reported that the Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov ships were hit in the footage, but the extent of the damage could not be determined. There were also signs of damage to the grain terminal infrastructure, a tanker at the oil loading pier, and the buildings of a bakery.
"The ships were withdrawn from Crimea to Novorossiysk due to regular strikes, and the big question is where should the Black Sea Fleet go now?" - the author of "Military Reporter" notes.
According to Reuters, citing sources in the field, two of Russia's largest grain terminals have been shut down as a result of attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces. The extent of the damage and the time frame for its restoration are still unknown. Analysts warned back in July that Ukrainian drone attacks could disrupt grain exports across the Black Sea in the near future, leading to rising prices and the risk of famine in African and Middle Eastern countries.