The Kremlin usually does not react to Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, analysts reminded. However, the impact of the Ukrainian strikes on the oil refinery in Tuapse was apparently "so significant" that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov personally reacted to it on April 28. These strikes forced the Kremlin to acknowledge their consequences, the ISW emphasized.
Krasnodar Krai authorities had to declare a state of emergency in the Tuapse municipal district due to the aftermath of the attacks. They also admitted that the strike caused an oil spill. Meanwhile, Putin met with Alexander Kurenkov, the Russian Minister for Civil Defense, Emergencies, and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters, and instructed him to go to Tuapse to oversee the response to the attack's aftermath. Peskov acknowledged the strike on Tuapse but stated that all details regarding the targeted facilities are classified. Peskov also criticized the Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, calling them a further destabilization of global energy markets.
Ukraine is intensifying its campaign of attacks on Russian oil infrastructure precisely when Russia is trying to take advantage of the global energy crisis to increase energy export revenues to fund the war against Ukraine, the ISW reminded. The Institute expects that the Ukrainian Defense Forces will likely continue to exploit the overload of Russian air defenses and the vast areas of Russia's deep rear that it must cover to launch more frequent and large-scale strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and military assets.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out a third strike on the Tuapse refinery overnight on April 28, sparking a new massive fire. Satellite imagery published on April 28 showed multiple fires and a smoke plume at the Tuapse oil depot and refinery.
At least four burning tanks were recorded on the territory of the oil refinery in Tuapse as a result of the attack, the Ukrainian OSINT project CyberBoroshno assessed. "If the tank farm was targeted in previous attacks, this time the refinery itself was hit," the analysts explained.
NASA's FIRMS data on probable fires showed thermal anomalies in the northern part of the Tuapse oil refinery's territory. BBC News Russian specified that previous Ukrainian strikes did not affect this part of the refinery. A spill of burning oil on the streets of Tuapse was also reported.
Ukraine earlier struck the tanks of the Tuapse refinery overnight on April 16 and April 20, likely destroying 24 oil storage tanks and damaging four more.
The refinery suspended the operation of its only oil refining complex, which has an annual capacity of 12 million tons, after the April 20 strikes, the Russian opposition publication Astra reported.
Ukrainian forces are conducting a larger-scale strike campaign against Russian military, oil, and port infrastructure in Russia's Krasnodar Krai in April 2026. In particular, strikes were carried out on Sheskharis oil terminal and Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate near the port of Novorossiysk (April 6), an oil pumping station in Krymsk (April 9 and 11), the port and Nefteeksport oil depot in Tuapse (April 16), an oil pumping station in Tikhoretsk (April 18), and the seaport in Yeysk (April 19).