Ukraine May Have Hit Another Russian Navy Ship in Novorossiysk

Ukrainian forces hit the Russian port of Novorossiysk with another long-range drone and missile strike overnight Monday, prompting a massive air defense response.

The attack involved multiple divisions of the Ukrainian armed forces, including special operations forces, border guards, Ukrainian Navy coastal battery units, and intelligence agencies. Ukrainian sources told Kyiv Post that they managed to hit the port's economically-important oil terminal for the second time in two weeks, and caused additional damage to an S-300 or S-400 air defense missile complex.

Kyiv Post reports that the strike took aim at loading arms and pipe manifolds on the oil export pier of the terminal. It is possible that a Russian Navy landing ship - potentially a Project 1171 Tapir - was also hit and damaged during the attack. Ukrainian outlet Hromadske reported that a vessel was hit, and a pier-to-pier ship movement with two tugs assisting was spotted by satellite OSINT analyst Tom Bike after the strike, possibly signifying a newly-disabled vessel. However, Russian warships are frequently moved about the port, which is the main hub for the Black Sea Fleet; the former home port, Sevastopol, has been untenable for the past two years because of the threat of Ukrainian drone and missile attacks.

In addition, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) - the Western joint venture that operates the export pipeline from Kazakhstan's abundant oilfields - reported Tuesday that the attack had damaged its administrative building for the CPC marine terminal. The strike prompted a temporary suspension of loadings at the offshore SPM buoy terminal, CPC said. Ukraine has previously attacked the pipeline: it hit a major pumping station in February, shutting it down until May.

Russian sources claimed that debris from Ukrainian drones hit two apartment buildings, damaging three apartments. However, Ukrainian sources claim that errant Russian air defense missiles caused the damage. Four people were reportedly hospitalized from the effects of the attack city-wide.

A related wave of strikes overnight Monday caused extensive damage to targets along Russia's Black Sea and Sea of Azov coastline, including an aircraft factory, a high-end surveillance plane and a drone factory in Taganrog and a refinery in Tuapse, Ukrainian media claimed.

Top image: Tapir-class landing ship (Sergeant / CC BY SA 3.0)