KYIV — Ukraine’s Defense Forces and Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) carried out a coordinated strike against Russian military and infrastructure targets in Krasnodar Krai during the night of September 8–9, with the Novorossiysk naval base among the main targets.
Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, commander of the USF, said the operation destroyed or damaged several Russian military vessels, including missile carriers used to launch attacks against Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukrainian forces struck the naval base, military harbor facilities, warships, Kalibr missile carriers and an oil-shipment terminal.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said the operation involved the SBU, USF, Ukrainian Navy, Main Intelligence Directorate and State Border Guard Service. Fuel-oil storage facilities and infrastructure at the Sheskharis terminal were also targeted. Fires and explosions were reported at the naval base and in areas where ships were stationed.
NASA’s FIRMS satellite data detected fires near the Black Sea Fleet base and port infrastructure. Open-source analysis reported a fire at the fuel-oil terminal, with at least one storage tank damaged. The terminal handles fuel oil and light petroleum products and has an annual capacity of around 4 million tonnes.
Novorossiysk has become a key base for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet after many Russian warships were moved there from Sevastopol following earlier Ukrainian attacks.
Ukraine also reported strikes on Russian aviation and air-defense equipment. According to Brovdi, Ukrainian drones destroyed a Russian Su-33 carrier-based fighter and an Mi-8 helicopter near Anapa. Near Gelendzhik, USF operators destroyed a 39N6 Kasta-2E2 360-degree surveillance radar and a 92N6 target-acquisition radar used with Russia’s S-300/S-400 air-defense systems.
Ukrainian drone manufacturer Fire Point said FP-1 drones were used in the Novorossiysk operation and struck the fuel-oil terminal, a grain terminal and the naval-base area.
Russian authorities confirmed the drone attack and said debris from intercepted drones hit industrial areas and locations near residential buildings. Regional officials reported that four people, including a child, were killed and around 29 injured. Russia’s Defense Ministry said hundreds of Ukrainian drones were intercepted across several regions.
Brovdi also reported that Russian personnel losses averaged 411 killed per day in September, compared with 355 per day in August. Between September 1 and 8, the USF claimed to have killed more than 3,300 Russian troops and struck 16,720 Russian military targets. These figures are Ukrainian claims and have not been independently verified.
The Ukrainian General Staff said the full extent of the damage from the operation was still being assessed. The strike is part of Ukraine’s continuing campaign against Russian naval, aviation, air-defense and logistical infrastructure supporting military operations against Ukraine.
Source : militarnyi
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