War

Ukrainian drones reportedly strike Novorossiysk oil terminal in southern Russia

2 min read
A fire burns at an industrial city under a black sky
What purports to be a fire at an oil terminal in Novorossiysk, Russia overnight on March 2, 2026. (Astra/Telegram)

Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Ukrainian drones struck an oil terminal, leaving fires in the southern Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight on March 2, Telegram news channel Astra reported.

Four residential buildings were reported damaged in the attack, and one person was injured, Novorossiysk Mayor Andrey Kravchenko said, without mentioning the oil terminal.

"At the moment, damage is known to have occurred to two more apartment buildings and five private houses. Fires broke out at two addresses and are being extinguished. According to preliminary information, there are no casualties," Kravchenko later reported.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims at the time of publication.

Ukraine regularly strikes military infrastructure deep within Russia and occupied territories in an effort to diminish Moscow's fighting power as the Kremlin wages its war against Ukraine.

Kyiv considers oil facilities to be valid military targets as they directly fund Russia's war.

On Feb. 28, an oil refinery in the village of Novominskaya in Russia's Krasnodar Krai caught fire following a drone attack, according to the Krasnodar Krai Operational Headquarters.

Overnight on Feb. 27, Ukraine reportedly launched strikes, hitting a thermal power station in Belgorod Oblast and an oil depot in occupied Luhansk, according to Russian officials and eyewitness footage posted to social media.

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Volodymyr Ivanyshyn

News Editor

Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.

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