Russia government has declared a state of emergency on Saturday, May 3, after a suspected Ukrainian drone attack struck the strategic Black Sea port city of Novorossiisk, causing injuries and property damage.
According to Novorossiisk Mayor Andrei Kravchenko, the nighttime strike damaged a key grain terminal and several residential buildings, leaving five people injured.
Among the injured was a woman in critical condition and two children. Visuals shared by Kravchenko on Telegram revealed broken windows, damaged balconies, crushed vehicles, and debris littering the area surrounding three affected apartment blocks.
Veniamin Kondratyev, governor of the Krasnodar region, confirmed that fragments from the downed drones ignited fires in three grain storage facilities. Fortunately, no casualties were reported at the terminal itself.
Delo Group, the company managing the targeted grain terminal, reported that the fire was successfully extinguished and cleanup efforts were already underway.
The company emphasized that its DeloPorts terminals remained operational and were following all safety protocols as directed by authorities.
Ukraine has not issued a statement regarding the incident.
However, Ukraine’s air force claimed that Russia had launched a large-scale overnight assault, deploying 183 drones and two ballistic missiles.
The escalation comes amid ongoing tensions in the region, where both Russia and Ukraine have increasingly used drone warfare to target military and infrastructure assets.
The damage to the Novorossiisk port—an important hub for Russia’s grain exports—marks a significant development in the evolving conflict.
