STORY: :: Tuapse, Russia / Released April 20, 2026
:: Social media video shows fire and smoke at Tuapse oil refinery
:: Russian officials say a major Ukrainian drone attack on the nearby Tuapse port killed at least one person
Reuters was able to confirm the location from the position of buildings and road layout which matched file and satellite imagery of the area. Date not verified but local governor Veniamin Kondratiev said on Monday (April 20) that one man has died and another injured in a "massive" Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Black Sea port of Tuapse. NASA FIRMS (NASA's Global Fire Tracking Map) detected thermal activity in the area in the past 24 hours. No older version of the video was found posted online before April 20.
One of Russia's major southern ports, Tuapse is an oil product export hub that also handles dry bulk cargo, such as coal and fertilizer. In addition, it is home to a major oil refinery of the same name owned by Rosneft.
"Tuapse was subjected to another massive drone attack," Veniamin Kondratiev, governor of the Krasnodar region said on messaging app Telegram. "A fire occurred at the seaport."
Kondratiev said one man was killed at the port and another injured, while debris from drones damaged several city buildings, ranging from a kindergarten and primary school to a church and residential apartment block.
Russia's defense ministry said 112 Ukrainian drones were destroyed overnight.
