Ukraine claims to have struck a Russian naval base in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk overnight.
Moscow also said that four people were killed and 29 wounded during this major Ukrainian drone attack, one of the biggest in the war so far.
Yasen-Class Submarine from Russian Navy. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Russian Naval Base Hit, Again
On Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces had achieved “results in Novorossiysk,” hitting Russian military and energy infrastructure in a key Krasnodar region port.
“A naval base was hit: a terminal involved in oil shipment, military harbor facilities, warships, and Kalibr carriers,” Zelenskyy said.
Reuters separately confirmed that Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had struck the naval base, an oil terminal and missile-carrying warships.
Kyiv: We Hit Key Russian Frigate
The Ukrainian military intelligence agency, HUR, said one of the targets was the Admiral Essen, an Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
HUR said its Active Operations Department carried out the strike alongside other branches of the Ukrainian military and that a fire broke out on the frigate’s superstructure after it was hit.
The agency failed to provide a detailed assessment of the vessel’s condition, and the extent of the damage has not been independently verified.
The Admiral Essen is equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles, which Russia has repeatedly used for long-range attacks on Ukraine.
Ukraine’s General Staff also confirmed fires at the Novorossiysk naval base and the port’s fuel oil terminal. Zelenskyy described the operation as part of Kyiv’s response to Moscow’s continuing air campaign.
“We are responding to Russia’s daily terrorist attacks – effectively and across virtually the entire territory,” he said.
Why Novorossiysk is Important to Russia
Novorossiysk is a key strategic location, home not only to major military facilities but also to one of Russia’s key ports for foreign exports.
The port handles some 700,000 barrels of oil daily. Russian Urals and Siberian Light crude, as well as Kazakh oil, pass through the port.
Successive Ukrainian attacks have previously led to major disruption there. A trio of grain terminals in the city were temporarily put out of action following strikes last month.
Russia Downplays Ukrainian Attack
Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said four people, including a child, were killed in Novorossiysk and another 29 were wounded, three of them seriously.
Russian officials said three private homes, five apartment buildings, a church, and a kindergarten were among the damaged buildings.
Novorossiysk’s Mayor Andrei Kravchenko said that industrial sites had been impacted, although debris from downed Ukrainian drones had fallen on “the territory of enterprises” and close to a residential building.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its air defenses had intercepted 596 Ukrainian drones across its territory between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.
Airports in over a dozen regions were forced to enact temporary flight restrictions amid the barrage.
Ukraine also claimed to have struck other targets around the Black Sea. Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, said Ukrainian forces destroyed Russian missile boats, a Su-33 fighter, a Mi-8 helicopter and radar or electronic-warfare systems around Anapa and Gelendzhik. Those claims have not been independently verified.
The strike comes amid another escalation in long-range attacks on both sides of the conflict.
Russian drones hit the Ukraine-Moldova border Wednesday, killing two people, while another Russian attack on Kyiv killed one person and wounded at least 14, according to Reuters.
Zelenskyy argued that strikes such as Novorossiysk were meant to impose a cost on Moscow: “A response is needed.” Zelenskyy added that Russia must not enter the winter believing it can conduct missile and drone attacks “without consequences.”
Peace Talks Remain on Ice
Speaking last week, Vladimir Putin said there was still a “chance” of a settlement. But he also described Ukraine’s warnings concerning civilian aircraft as “acts of state terrorism” that “complicate the prospects for bilateral peace talks.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly fears that ending the war in Ukraine without a victory could threaten his own position – even as mounting military and economic problems give the Kremlin reasons to seek a way out.
“They will hang me,” Putin told people around him at some point during the war, according to sources close to the Russian president cited by The Economist newspaper. The context of the remarks was not disclosed.
About The Author Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
