ASTRA: Major Russian oil facility near Novorossiysk on fire PHOTO

A fire broke out at an industrial oil storage facility near the Russian Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk following a series of explosions overnight, according to independent Russian news outlet ASTRA.

Residents reported hearing dozens of explosions during the night of June 8, with some eyewitnesses estimating that more than 50 blasts occurred before flames were seen rising from the area.

Citing an open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysis, ASTRA said the fire appears to have occurred at the Grushovaya industrial site, part of the Sheskharis oil transshipment complex operated by Chernomortransneft, a subsidiary of Russia's state pipeline operator Transneft.

Analysts who examined videos posted online said the footage was filmed from a vineyard area at the southern end of Novorossiysk Bay, approximately 11 kilometres from the site of the fire.

The Grushovaya facility serves as the largest tank farm within the Sheskharis complex and is used for the storage of crude oil and petroleum products. It is connected to the nearby Sheskharis marine terminal through a network of pipelines and tunnels that transport oil for loading onto tankers.

The Sheskharis terminal is a key export hub and the final destination of Transneft's main oil pipeline system in Russia's Krasnodar region. The facility plays a critical role in receiving, storing, and exporting Russian oil and petroleum products via the Black Sea.

ASTRA noted that facilities within the Sheskharis complex were also targeted in separate incidents in March, April, and May this year.

By Sabina Mammadli