Ukrainian partisans say they blinded Russia's Novorossiysk before the drones came. The Atesh movement reports its agents disabled communication towers and damaged a transformer substation feeding Russian air-defense infrastructure around the port city on the eve of the Ukrainian strike on the Grushevaya Balka oil depot.
What was struck?
The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed strikes on the Sheskharis oil terminal — one of Russia's largest Black Sea oil-loading facilities — the associated Grushevaya transshipment depot, and the Russian shadow-fleet tanker CHRYSALIS in the Black Sea on the night of 22-23 May.
Fires were confirmed at both oil facilities. The Krasnodar Krai Operational Headquarters attributed the damage to "fallen drone debris," its standard post-strike framing for Ukrainian successes against air-defense-protected infrastructure.
Radar blinding
"Our people disabled several communication towers that ensured coordination between air defense units in the area," Atesh said in its statement.
The partisans also reported damaging a transformer substation that powered several military and communication facilities in the area.
Without a power supply, large stationary radars lost stable operation. Unmanned aerial reconnaissance of the approaches to Novorossiysk was effectively blinded, leaving air defense units unable to respond in time to low-flying targets.
ATESH also claims responsibility for oil transport locomotive fire
The operational chain ATESH described corresponds to a similar operation, the movement claimed last week in Moscow Oblast, in which agents damaged communication towers equipped with electronic warfare modules in three districts.
The Atesh statement at the time said the operation caused the Russian air defense system to lose observation points on the capital's immediate approaches.
The movement also claimed responsibility on 21 May for setting fire to a locomotive used in oil cargo transport in Saint Petersburg.
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