Ukrainian special ops strike a key Russian oil terminal, damaging docks and disrupting exports as tensions escalate on New Year's Eve.
On New Year's Eve, Ukrainian special operations forces targeted oil and natural gas terminals near Taman Port, a crucial energy export point for Russia located on the eastern shore of the Kerch Strait.
The attack, executed using multiple unmanned aerial vehicles, reportedly struck the loading docks of the facility, which exports approximately 20 million tons of oil, petroleum products, and LPG to foreign markets annually. The Ukrainian General Staff announced that two docks with oil loading arms at the terminal were damaged.
This region has previously experienced similar attacks. The Taman regional administration reported a significant drone attack on December 22 that impacted two vessels, two docks, and pipeline infrastructure. Authorities confirmed that there were no casualties or injuries in either incident.
The terminal operator also noted a brief service interruption due to a fire in an oil storage tank in May 2023.
According to PitchBook data, Tamanneftegas is owned by Russia's state oil company Rosneft. The facility can service crude oil tankers up to 160,000 DWT, accommodating two vessels simultaneously, and can also accept LPG carriers up to 24,000 DWT for propane and butane cargoes.
In addition to the attack on the oil terminal, the Ukrainian General Staff reported that on December 31, Russian ammunition depots in the Donetsk region were destroyed, a petroleum storage facility in the river port city of Rybinsk was damaged, and a Russian river vessel operation base near Olenivka in Crimea was eliminated.
