Photo: social media
Three key points of Russia’s largest southern oil loading hub were reportedly hit.
As a result of the strike on the Sheskharis oil terminal in Novorossiysk, systems responsible for measuring oil volume and quality (so-called metering units, SIKN) were disabled, and loading berths were damaged. The facility had reportedly been targeted by drones previously.
Ukrainian OSINT analysts from the “KyberBoroshno” community stated that at least three impact points were recorded. The terminal is located roughly 350 km from the front line in Ukraine.
Reported impact sites
- Berth No. 1: became the epicenter of a major fire after oil equipment was punctured, causing an oil spill into the harbor area
- Berth No. 2: also sustained damage
- Metering and control systems: equipment used to measure oil quantity and quality, as well as valve systems essential for shipment processing, were disabled
Significance of the facility
Analysts say that simultaneous strikes on these components could effectively halt oil loading operations. Even if berths are repaired, the terminal remains non-operational without functioning metering infrastructure.
The Sheskharis oil terminal is the largest oil loading complex in southern Russia, operated by Transneft. It is used for receiving, storing, and exporting oil products via tankers and also supplies fuel to the Russian military.
The terminal had previously been damaged in drone strikes, which at times temporarily disrupted operations.
