Thursday, May 28, 2026 9:19:54 PM

Ukrainian attacks have brought operations at the Russian port of Tuapse to a standstill, with the key Black Sea oil port reportedly shut down for more than a month.

According to a report by Novaya-Europe, which analyzed satellite imagery and data from VesselFinder, there has been no sign of activity at the port since April 23. Not a single oil tanker or civilian vessel has docked in Tuapse for weeks, while the nearest ship with its radar activated is located more than 35 kilometers off the coast.

NASA’s fire maps indicate that the last hotspots within the port area were recorded around May 10-11.

Under normal circumstances, Tuapse would process an average of eight to ten vessels each day. With the port paralyzed, it appears that oil tankers destined for Tuapse are now being redirected to other Russian ports, particularly Novorossiysk.

As of May 28, analysts say at least 11 Russian oil refineries are either completely shut down or operating at less than half capacity.

Novaya-Europe reports that the damage in Tuapse is extensive, affecting not only the refinery complex but also fuel storage and the port terminal itself. No one can currently estimate how long repairs will take, but restoration efforts are expected to last at least until late June.

The Tuapse refinery is owned by Rosneft, which has also seen other major facilities in European Russia hit by Ukrainian strikes in recent months. The strain on resources is making it difficult to prioritize the recovery of any single site.

A source from a trading company told the publication that market participants are bracing for additional attacks by Ukrainian forces targeting Russian refineries and port infrastructure.

“We don’t see any positive developments on the horizon and have no idea when that could change,” the source said.

The situation is similarly tense at other Russian oil refineries hit by drone strikes. At the Syzran and Yaroslavl plants, more than half of processing capacity is currently offline.

Of Russia’s major refineries in the European part of the country, only the Volgograd refinery is reportedly operating at full capacity.

In late April and early May, Tuapse was repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian drones, sparking fires at the refinery that burned for days and left local residents complaining about heavy smoke and so-called “oil rain.”

On the night of May 27, Ukrainian defense forces struck the Tuapse refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region, as well as targeting Russian Air Force 

(C)UAWIRE 2026