Ukraine war latest: Russian oil tanker on fire after strike by Ukrainian drones in Krasnodar Krai, source says

Key developments on Nov. 1-2:

• Russian oil tanker on fire after strike by Ukrainian drones in Krasnodar Krai, source says
• Ukrainian soldiers killed in Russian missile, drone strikes on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, military says
• 'They're not scary' — Ukraine's drone commander 'Madyar' promises blackouts in Russia after new strikes
• Russia claims HUR special forces raid in embattled Pokrovsk thwarted, Ukraine denies, Syrskyi insists 'no encirclement'

Ukrainian drones struck an oil terminal and an oil tanker in Russia's Krasnodar Krai late on Nov. 1, a source at the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent.

Five drone strikes were recorded, according to the SBU. Following the strikes, a tanker caught fire, and at least four piers used for loading and unloading tankers were rendered inoperable. Additionally, port buildings sustained damage.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed on Nov. 2 that the oil infrastructure of the seaport located on the Black Sea coast in the port city of Tuapse had been damaged.

The terminal in Tuapse is operated by Russia's state oil company Rosneft. The city serves as a vital hub for Russian oil exports, with terminals and infrastructure critical to the country's energy logistics.

Photos and videos posted on social media purport to show a large fire emanating from the pier of the terminal, situated off the Black Sea.

Russian Telegram channels, citing resident reports, noted at least three fires were seen around the area of the oil terminal, including at an oil tanker.

Officials from Krasnodar Krai's regional operations headquarters later confirmed that a drone attack had caused damage to port infrastructure. Officials added that the deck superstructure, a vessel, buildings, and terminal infrastructure were damaged in the attack.

Preliminary information indicated that there were no casualties, Russian officials claimed.

"The SBU continues to strike at Russia's oil refining infrastructure, which provides the enemy with resources for aggression against Ukraine. As long as the war continues, flames will continue to burn brightly at Russian oil refineries," the SBU source said.

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Ukrainian soldiers killed in Russian missile, drone strikes on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, military says

Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in Russian missile and drone strikes on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the Ukrainian military said on Nov. 2.

On Nov. 1, Russia launched a missile and drone attack on several settlements in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, including Nikopol, Pishchansk, Pokrovsk, Marhanets, and Chervonohryhorivsk.

According to the Operational Task Force "East," the strike resulted in casualties and injuries among Ukrainian military personnel.

"(Russian) systematic attacks on populated areas in the deep rear and in areas close to the line of combat continue," the task force said.

Law enforcement agencies are currently investigating the attack, focusing on whether local military units followed the General Staff's directives regarding air alert warnings, restrictions on open-area gatherings, and the correct use of shelters.

At the moment of publication, the exact number of soldiers killed remains unknown.

"We express our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the fallen defenders of Ukraine," the task force said in a statement. "The Russian aggressor will pay dearly for this crime."

Previously, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Vladyslav Haivanenko reported that four civilians were killed, including an 11-year-old and a 14-year-old, and 6 people were injured in Russian air strikes on Nov. 1.

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'They're not scary' — Ukraine's drone commander 'Madyar' promises blackouts in Russia after new strikes

Ukraine is preparing new strikes on Russian energy infrastructure that could lead to widespread blackouts, according to Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Drone Systems Forces.

Attacks by Ukraine's defense forces, particularly long-range strike assets including drones, would soon force Russian regions to adapt to ongoing disruptions in power supply, Brovdi wrote on Facebook on Nov. 1.

"Blackouts are not scary. They’re just a bit inconvenient… The birds of the Drone Systems Forces, together with other components of Ukraine’s deep strike capabilities, promise you a rapid, if somewhat forced, adaptation," he wrote.

Brovdi described Ukraine's drones as "Free Ukrainian Birds," unpredictable and not bound by schedules.

He added that Russian fuel shortages were becoming more frequent, while gas and oil reserves were "burning fast."

The statement followed reports of a mass power outage in Moscow Oblast on Oct. 31, which Russian media linked to drone attacks on energy facilities in the region.

Elsewhere on Nov. 1, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) struck a key Russian military fuel pipeline in Moscow Oblast a day earlier, disabling a key supply route used by the Russian army, the agency said in a statement.

HUR said the strike targeted the Koltsevoy (Ring) pipeline, a 400-kilometer-long fuel artery used to supply Russia’s armed forces with gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from refineries in Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Moscow.

The operation reportedly destroyed all three major fuel lines of the system simultaneously near Ramensky district, south-east of Moscow. Despite anti-drone nets and armed security on-site, the pipeline infrastructure was successfully taken out of service, HUR said.

"The Ring pipeline was capable of transporting up to 3 million tons of jet fuel annually, as well as millions of tons of diesel and gasoline," HUR said, calling the strike a "serious blow" to Russia's military logistics and its economy in Moscow Oblast.

‘A rumble in Moscow Oblast’ — Ukraine hits critical military fuel pipeline near Russian capital, HUR says

“Our strikes have had more impact than the sanctions,” HUR chief Kyrylo Budanov was quoted as saying.

The Kyiv IndependentTania Myronyshena

Russia claims HUR special forces raid in embattled Pokrovsk thwarted, Ukraine denies, Syrskyi insists 'no encirclement'

Ukrainian forces are holding off a large Russian grouping attempting to infiltrate residential areas in Pokrovsk and sever supply routes, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on Nov. 1.

"There is no encirclement or blockade of the cities. We are doing everything possible to maintain logistics," he said.

Syrskyi described a broad operation to destroy and expel Russian forces from Pokrovsk, with the main burden falling on Ukraine’s assault units, drone operators, and special forces. Consolidated groups from the Special Operations Forces, Military Law Enforcement Service, Security Service (SBU), and military intelligence (HUR) are active in the city.

Syrskyi emphasized the need for coordination between units and said additional troops, weapons, and drone systems are being deployed to reinforce the defense.

"The enemy is paying the highest price for trying to fulfil the Kremlin dictator's order to seize Donbas," he said.

Earlier reports suggested that HUR launched a special operation involving airborne assault units in Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, under the command of HUR chief Kyrylo Budanov.

Reuters reported on Oct. 31 that the raid began earlier this week, when Ukrainian special forces landed from a Black Hawk helicopter in areas compromised by Russian drone activity.

A video seen by the agency appears to show at least 10 soldiers disembarking in an open field. The location and date of the footage have not been independently verified.

Sources within the Defense Forces told Suspilne that Ukrainian assault units entered areas of Pokrovsk that Russian commanders had previously claimed to control.

Later on Nov. 1, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed the raid had been thwarted. "All 11 personnel who landed from the helicopter were killed," it said in a post on Telegram. Ukraine denied the claim.

Economist journalist Oliver Carroll also shared unverified footage appearing to show a helicopter landing in Russian-held territory near Pokrovsk.

"Hearing Ukraine's military intelligence is conducting a daring counter-offensive near Pokrovsk to reopen key logistics lines," Carroll wrote on X.

The military analysis platform DeepState reported continued Russian advances in the Pokrovsk sector over the past few days.

The defense of the major city in Donetsk Oblast, which has held out for over a year of heavy fighting as one of the main hotspots of the front line, looks to have begun falling apart as Russian soldiers in their hundreds have broken into the city limits, spreading in all directions

Note from the author:

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