NOVOROSSIYSK, Russia — Ukrainian drone strikes have disrupted Russian oil and grain infrastructure in recent days, including a major refinery in Bashkortostan and grain terminals at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, according to Russian regional authorities, industry sources and Ukrainian officials.
A fire broke out on Thursday at the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat oil and petrochemical complex in Bashkortostan after what regional authorities said was a Ukrainian drone attack. The facility, about 1,300 km (800 miles) from Ukraine, is one of Russia’s largest oil-processing complexes. Russian authorities did not report casualties from the strike.
The attack followed a Ukrainian drone strike on the Orsknefteorgsintez refinery in Russia’s Orenburg region on Aug. 11. Regional Governor Yevgeny Solntsev said the refinery had suffered severe damage and would remain shut while repairs were carried out, potentially for up to six months because some replacement equipment is subject to sanctions. The refinery processes about 6 million metric tons of crude a year.
The attacks have added to disruptions in Russia’s fuel sector. Reuters reported that Russian seaborne oil-product exports fell 33.3% in July from the previous month, with industry sources attributing the decline in part to unplanned refinery maintenance following Ukrainian strikes.
At Novorossiysk on the Black Sea, overnight Ukrainian drone strikes on Aug. 12 damaged grain-export infrastructure and forced major terminals to suspend operations. An industry source told Reuters that a terminal operated by Demetra Holding stopped work after sustaining damage, while the company confirmed damage and said it was assessing the situation.
Russian authorities said the wider attack killed at least two people, including an eight-year-old child, and damaged residential and port infrastructure. Russian and Ukrainian officials also reported that the strikes hit a naval facility. Reuters reported that the disruption affected two major grain terminals, raising concerns over Russia’s Black Sea agricultural exports.
The attacks come as both sides increasingly target infrastructure connected to energy and agricultural trade. Ukraine has also proposed, through a third party, a halt to attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea, saying it wants to reduce risks to food supplies. Russia has said it has not received a formal proposal.
As of Friday, the Salavat refinery fire and the operational status of the affected Novorossiysk grain facilities remained subject to ongoing assessments, while Russia continued to report Ukrainian drone attacks and Ukraine maintained its campaign against Russian energy infrastructure.
