Ukraine Strikes Novorossiysk Naval Base in Major Drone Assault

Ukraine executed an overnight strike on the Novorossiysk naval base using sea drones, anti-ship missiles and jet-powered aerial drones.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the military carried out a "unique" operation targeting "the naval base in Novorossiysk—the last major stronghold of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea". He added that the attack hit air defences, piers and other port infrastructure in the city.

In response, Moscow fired 138 strike drones and multiple missiles across Ukraine. These strikes killed two people in Kherson and destroyed a shopping mall in Zaporizhzhia.

Russian authorities stated their regional air defences intercepted more than 500 Ukrainian drones within the Krasnodar region during the exchange.

Casualties and Damage Reported

Hundreds of Ukrainian drones targeted Novorossiysk, Anapa, Gelendzhik and the Temryuk district, Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said. An eight-year-old child died in Novorossiysk, and a second victim died in hospital after a home in Temryuk was struck, Kondratyev added. The attacks injured 12 other people.

Falling debris from intercepted drones struck 21 residential buildings and four industrial facilities across the Krasnodar region.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russia-appointed head of Sevastopol in annexed Crimea, said air defences neutralised 115 drones. The falling wreckage damaged 25 private homes and 10 apartment blocks.

The Ukrainian air force stated that Russian strikes damaged 16 locations across the country. Oleksandr Prokudin, the regional head of Kherson, said a large-scale drone assault killed two residents and injured two others.

Strategic and Economic Impact

Novorossiysk hosts the Grushovaya oil transshipment complex, a major hub for petroleum products in southern Russia. The port also contains the Caspian Pipeline Consortium network, which transports crude from Kazakhstan. This infrastructure handles exports from three Kazakh oil fields where ExxonMobil and Chevron hold stakes.

The US State Department expressed displeasure in February 2025 over Ukrainian attacks on Novorossiysk, stating they affected US oil interests in Kazakhstan.

Since the conflict began over four years ago, Ukrainian forces have deployed domestically designed drones against Moscow's naval vessels and oil tankers in the Black Sea. These uncrewed vessels restricted the operations of the once-dominant Russian fleet, Kyiv officials stated.

Russian President Vladimir Putin remains committed to the invasion despite slow, expensive battlefield gains and American peace efforts, Ukrainian officials stated. Intelligence reports show Moscow plans to expand its forces. Putin wants "an additional rapid mobilisation of several hundred thousand Russians by the end of the year", Zelenskyy said.

(With PTI Inputs)