Latest news Ukraine

Finishing off Russia’s seaborne oil exports: Tuapse refinery ablaze again

The Russian Black Sea export terminal’s refinery burns again, four days after Russia extinguished last fires raging for days after the 20 April strike.

byYuri Zoria

28/04/2026

4 minute read

Panorama stitched from video frames showing multiple fires across the Tuapse refinery after Ukraine’s drone strike, Krasnodar Krai, Russia, 28 April 2026. Photo: Exilenova+ via Telegram

Finishing off Russia’s seaborne oil exports: Tuapse refinery ablaze again

Ukraine's drones struck Russia's Tuapse oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai for the third time in 12 days overnight on 28 April 2026, this time hitting tanks inside the refinery itself. The strike came only four days after Russia extinguished the fires from the previous attacks.

Kyiv continues its deep-strike campaign, targeting mainly Russian oil production and export facilities. In recent months, the campaign has shifted from harassment to systematic dismantling of Russia's oil export infrastructure, with the Black Sea coast facilities lately joining Russia's Baltic export ports on the list of facilities being hit faster than they can be repaired.

Drones came in from the sea before dawn

Local residents counted more than 10 explosions overnight, with drones approaching the refinery from the sea at low altitude. Russian propaganda Telegram channel Shot reported air defense activity over the city as the strike unfolded.

finishing off russia's seaborne oil exports tuapse refinery ablaze again · post fires shortly after ukraine's drone strike krasnodar krai russia 28 2026 dab5fd63-b160-4f93-8e98-c3ee75c0459b ukraine news ukrainian reports — Fires at the Tuapse refinery shortly after Ukraine's drone strike, Krasnodar Krai, Russia, 28 April 2026. Photo: Exilenova+ via Telegram

Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ shared the first image of the fires at the facility about 3 a.m., reporting that tanks barely extinguished after earlier attacks were burning again. By 6 a.m., city cameras showed a distant column of black smoke rising over the facility. The channel later noted that fire could spread further along the chain of tanks, with serious consequences for the refinery if it did.

The Tuapse refinery is one of Rosneft's most technologically advanced, with a processing depth of about 98% that produces Euro-5 diesel, fuel oil, vacuum gasoil, and aviation fuel. Combined storage capacity exceeds 1.5 million cubic meters across dozens of vertical tanks ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 m³. The AVT-12 unit is the most critical element. Ukraine's drones now sit four burning tanks away from it.

Massive fires continue at Russia's Tuapse oil refinery

📹Exilenova+ https://t.co/Giu20B8rXD pic.twitter.com/H9CP3d7Q6D
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) April 28, 2026

Tanks burning inside the refinery itself

NASA FIRMS thermal data confirmed the strike.

finishing off russia's seaborne oil exports tuapse refinery ablaze again · post thermal signatures fires krasnodar krai russia 28 2026 тепловые сигнатуры на территории нпз в туапсе карте сервиса nasa — Thermal signatures showing fires at the Tuapse refinery, Krasnodar Krai, Russia, 28 April 2026. Map: NASA FIRMS

OSINT channel Cyber Boroshno geolocated at least four burning tanks within the refinery and noted that earlier strikes had targeted the outer tank farm. This time, the impact points sit inside the refinery itself, with a high probability of fire spreading to neighboring vessels.

finishing off russia's seaborne oil exports tuapse refinery ablaze again · post cyber boroshno's osint analysis strike four impact points within tank farm hit previous attacks (in orange) krasnodar krai — Cyber Boroshno's OSINT analysis of the strike, showing four impact points within the Tuapse refinery and the tank farm hit in previous attacks (in orange), Krasnodar Krai, Russia, 28 April 2026. Source: Cyber Boroshno via Telegram

Russian news Telegram channel Astra said the 28 April strike likely hit the tank farm next to the AVT-12 unit, the refinery's main atmospheric-vacuum crude distillation system with a capacity of up to 12 million tons per year.

Krasnodar Krai's operational headquarters claimed the fire came from falling drone debris rather than direct hits. Krasnodar Krai governor Veniamin Kondratyev claimed 164 firefighters and 46 pieces of equipment had been deployed, with reinforcements on the way.

Ukraine struck the Tuapse refinery on 16 April and 20 April before returning on 28 April. Ukraine's General Staff confirmed on 27 April — hours before last night's attack — that the 20 April strike had destroyed 24 tanks and damaged another four.

Russian outlet Kedr Media recorded dark streams in the Tuapse river that looked like spilled fuel. Russian authorities had warned residents not to leave their homes without need.

Occupied Crimea also struck

Ukrainian Telegram channel Krymsky Veter reported overnight explosions and air defense activity in occupied Sevastopol, Feodosia, Dzhankoi District, and the area around the Kacha and Saki airfields. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the occupation "governor" of Sevastopol, claimed local air defense intercepted three aerial targets near the North Side and Balaklavsky districts.

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed air defense downed 186 drones overnight across Astrakhan, Volgograd, Rostov, and Kursk Oblasts, Krasnodar Krai, occupied Crimea, and the Black and Azov Seas.

Read also

To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here

You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter

We are an independent media outlet that relies solely on advertising revenue to sustain itself. We do not endorse or promote any products or services for financial gain. Therefore, we kindly ask for your support by disabling your ad blocker. Your assistance helps us continue providing quality content. Thank you!