The Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, a critical artery for Russian energy exports and a key logistical node, partially resumed the loading of oil and refined petroleum products late Thursday evening, April 9. The vital infrastructure facility was forced to halt its operations earlier in the week following a highly coordinated drone strike that paralyzed the port’s logistical capabilities. This significant disruption in the global energy supply chain was reported by the international news agency Reuters, citing reliable industry sources.
The Sheskharis terminal, a strategically vital export hub located within the Novorossiysk port area, typically handles the loading of approximately 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Its seamless operation was abruptly completely disrupted on April 6 when a precision drone attack targeted the facility. The strikes ignited a massive fire across the port’s infrastructure, forcing an immediate and mandatory suspension of all loading and transshipment activities.
According to industry insiders, the loading of crude oil onto tankers was only able to resume late on April 9 and is currently operating under severe operational constraints. Operations are presently limited to a single active berth, significantly reducing the port’s overall throughput capacity. Sources indicate that a cargo of approximately 80,000 tons is scheduled for loading on Friday. Furthermore, in an urgent bid to mitigate mounting financial losses, port authorities have initiated the transshipment of fuel oil and diesel alongside crude oil operations.
The prolonged suspension has sent immediate ripples through international energy markets. Traders and market analysts are already bracing for a substantial revision of Russia’s crude oil export schedules due to the extensive damage sustained by the terminal. The economic stakes for the aggressor state are exceptionally high; in 2025 alone, the total volume of refined petroleum products exported through the Novorossiysk terminals reached a staggering 19.8 million tons. Any disruption to this node strikes a severe blow to the revenue streams funding the Russian war machine.
This incident is part of a broader, systematically executed campaign targeting key Russian economic and military assets. Prior to the resumption of oil loadings, independent monitoring channels reported a massive drone assault on Novorossiysk, highlighting a raging fire at the crucial oil-loading pier. Beyond the severe economic ramifications, Russia has also suffered significant military setbacks in the region. Following the strikes, the Ukrainian military officially confirmed the successful targeting of a Russian missile frigate stationed in Novorossiysk, as well as a direct hit on the “Sivash” floating drilling rig. Unsurprisingly, the Russian Ministry of Defense has conveniently omitted these crippling losses from official reports, attempting to conceal the true extent of their vulnerabilities in the Black Sea.