Fire erupts at major oil terminal in Novorossiysk after reported strike PHOTO / VIDEO

A major fire has broken out at an oil infrastructure facility in Novorossiysk following a reported Ukrainian attack, with evidence suggesting the blaze affected the Sheskharis oil loading terminal, one of the largest such facilities in southern Russia.

According to an analysis by an OSINT specialist from ASTRA, the video published by Supernova+ documenting the aftermath of the May 22 strike was filmed from the M-4 Don Highway, which runs along the eastern shore of Tsemess Bay. Based on geolocation data, the analyst concluded with a high degree of probability that the fire occurred at the Sheskharis industrial site.

ASTRA reports that the Sheskharis terminal is the largest oil loading facility in southern Russia and forms part of Chernomortransneft, which operates under Transneft. The complex is responsible for receiving, storing, and exporting crude oil and petroleum products to tankers. It had previously been targeted in attacks earlier this year, including incidents in early March and early April.

Following the strike on Novorossiysk, several technical and administrative buildings caught fire, while fragments of unmanned aerial vehicles fell within the fuel terminal’s территории. According to the regional operational headquarters in the Krasnodar Region, one person was injured at the moment the debris fell and was hospitalised for medical treatment. Authorities later confirmed that the number of injured had risen to two.

In a separate geolocation finding, the ASTRA analyst determined that additional footage released by Exilenova+ showing the aftermath of a strike on the Grushovaya Balka oil depot was filmed from Khvorostyanskogo Street, approximately 11 to 11.5 kilometres from the facility’s tank farm.

The Sheskharis site represents the final point of Transneft’s main oil pipeline network in the Krasnodar Region. The broader transhipment complex includes two industrial sites — Grushovaya and Sheskharis — situated roughly 12 kilometres apart.

By Tamilla Hasanova