The Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out overnight drone and missile strikes on the port of Kerch in Russian-occupied Crimea and Port Kavkaz in Russia’s Krasnodar region, triggering large fires at critical fuel infrastructure on both sides of the Kerch Strait.

According to local monitoring channels, including Crimean Wind, the attacks occurred during the night of June 20–21, 2026, amid active air raid alerts across the region. NASA’s FIRMS satellite monitoring system detected a fire at the Kerch port facility as early as 1:29 a.m., followed by another blaze at Port Kavkaz around 2:24 a.m.

Photos and videos shared by residents show the main fire in Kerch centered on an oil storage depot within the AEGAZ Terminal complex at Kerch Port. This specialized terminal handles cargo, liquefied gas transshipment, and operates a fuel terminal supporting ship refueling and the Crimea–Kavkaz ferry route.

Port Kavkaz, Russia’s fifth-largest port by cargo throughput and the second-largest in the Black Sea–Azov basin after Novorossiysk, was also hit. Its oil depot plays a vital role in supplying fuel to occupied Crimea and Russian-controlled areas of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk regions.

This latest operation comes just one day after Ukrainian strikes on June 19–20 targeted energy infrastructure in occupied Crimea, including the Tavriya Thermal Power Plant (Simferopol CCGT), a liquefied gas and petroleum products terminal operated by the Crimean fuel company TES, and a gas distribution station near Zhuravlivka. Those attacks also caused significant fires.

The strikes form part of Ukraine’s intensified campaign against Russian logistics and energy infrastructure in the rear areas, aiming to disrupt fuel supplies and military sustainment for Russian forces in southern Ukraine. The Kerch Strait remains a critical supply artery linking mainland Russia to occupied Crimea, making facilities on both sides high-value targets.

As of Sunday morning, fires were still reported burning at the affected oil terminals, with thick smoke visible in social media footage. Russian authorities have not yet issued detailed official statements on the extent of damage or casualties. Ukrainian officials have not publicly claimed responsibility for the latest strikes, in line with their standard operational security practices.

These repeated attacks on port and energy infrastructure highlight Ukraine’s growing long-range strike capabilities and the increasing pressure on Russian supply lines in the Black Sea region. (ILKHA)