Black Sea Oil Tanker Rates Surge to Record on Drones Barrage
(Bloomberg) — Freight costs for oil tankers shipping crude from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean have risen to a record after a flurry of drone attacks, driving down prices...
A general view shows the Novorossiysk Fuel Oil Terminal (NMT) in the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, Russia May 30, 2018. Picture taken May 30, 2018. REUTERS/Natalya Chumakova
By Bloomberg News
Dec 22, 2025 (Bloomberg) –Russia said a drone attack damaged infrastructure and vessels in the Black Sea port of Taman, yet another strike on the country’s commodities assets.
The assault struck two tankers and two piers at the Volna settlement where the port is located, local authorities said in a statement on Telegram. They also added that one connecting pipeline at the terminal and two storage tanks were also damaged.
The emergency services doused the flames on the piers and tanker and are continuing to battle the fire on the fuel oil supply pipeline, with the fire spread over about 1,500 square meters (16,100 square feet), authorities said.
There was no oil spill or injuries, the Telegram statement added.
Ukraine has been stepping up attacks on Russian assets at sea, including tankers and oil-field platforms. Moscow and Kyiv are fighting an increasingly intense energy war to gain meaningful advantage after months of little movement on the frontlines, and amid continuing peace talks.
Taman port is located on a peninsula, across the strait from Crimea, that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The port handles oil, liquefied petroleum gas, grains, fertilizers and other cargo.
On Saturday, Ukraine again attacked a Lukoil PJSC drilling platform on the Filanovsky field in the Caspian Sea, according to the country’s General Staff. On Friday, Kyiv hit an oil tanker from Russia’s shadow fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. Russia has also struck the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa multiple times over the past few days. The most recent attack left 120,000 people without power supply, according to Ukrainian authorities.
© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.
This article contains reporting from Bloomberg, published under license.
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