Ukraine’s military has successfully targeted a major oil terminal off the coast of the occupied Crimean Peninsula in a bold strike aimed at disrupting Russian-controlled energy infrastructures. This assault comes as part of a series of attacks against facilities vital to the Russian war effort.
Kyiv officials confirmed that the missile strike was directed at the Feodosia terminal, the largest oil processing facility on the peninsula, during overnight operations. While Russian-installed authorities in Crimea have yet to officially confirm the attack, they reported a fire at the facility, with no casualties reported thus far.
In response to the incident, local authorities declared a municipal-level emergency, resulting in the evacuation of approximately 300 residents from Feodosia due to the ongoing blaze. Footage shared online shows smoke billowing above the oil terminal, as local officials work to extinguish the flames.
Additionally, Moscow’s defense ministry reported that its forces shot down 12 out of 21 drones launched by Ukraine over the peninsula during the same night. Ukraine’s general staff stated that the oil products exported from the terminal were allegedly being utilized to support the Russian occupation army, emphasizing the strategic significance of the facility. Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 remains a point of contention in the ongoing conflict.
The Feodosia terminal has previously been targeted, sustaining damage from a Ukrainian drone strike earlier this year. Ukraine claims that its attacks on Russian energy facilities are a justified response to Moscow’s campaign of strikes against Ukraine’s own energy infrastructure, which has left millions in darkness due to extensive damages.
President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted that Russian attacks have resulted in the destruction of at least 80% of Ukraine’s thermal power and one-third of its hydroelectric power generation.
This latest strike on Crimea coincides with reports from Kyiv of the air force downing 32 drones and two missiles launched toward the Ukrainian capital by Russia. However, one Kinzhal missile managed to bypass air defenses and struck near the Starokostiantyniv airfield in the Khmelnytskyi region, which has been a frequent target of Russian assaults.
Ongoing claims by Moscow suggest that the Starokostiantyniv base is housing F-16 fighter jets provided by Western nations, a claim further fueled by the delivery of additional jets from NATO members since August 2023, when U.S. President Joe Biden approved their transfer to Ukraine.
In a separate incident in Kherson, 17 individuals were injured due to a Russian airstrike, which targeted the city with four bombs, among the casualties being a two-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl.
