Explosions were recorded in Novorossiysk overnight on 14 November as Ukrainian forces conducted a combined missile and drone strike on the Russian Black Sea port city, 300-400 km from the southern sections of the frontline in Ukraine. Fires were observed at an oil terminal and military installations, with video footage, satellite imagery, and local reports confirming multiple impact sites across the area.

Ukrainian drones and missiles hit multiple targets in Novorossiysk

The attack began around midnight, with explosions reported in various districts of Novorossiysk in southern Russia's Krasnodar Krai.

Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ published multiple videos and images from the scene. In one of the videos, a woman is heard descibing an explosion she saw before starting to film the video and then reacting to a new sudden blast: “It lit up just like this.”

Eyewitness footage showed significant fires and rising smoke in multiple locations. 

Several videos captured Russian air defense launches, including one missile falling into the sea and another—or the same recorded from the opposite angle—illuminating the horizon.

Posting two clips of a particularly large explosion, Exilenova+ first stated that the strike hit military unit 52522, likely at an ammunition depot, and identified the point of view's coordinates as 44.6714567471, 37.7787317922. An updated post said a suspected S-400 air defense system position was located behind a “Lenta” mall, seen in the clips. Open-source researchers from the Cyberboroshno community stated that S-300 or S-400 positions belonging to military unit 1537 of the Kuban anti-aircraft missile regiment were hit.

Chernomortransneft terminal ablaze, oil exports halted

Videos showed that during the air assault, fires broke out at Transneft's Chernomortransneft oil terminal in the Sheskharis area of Novorossiysk following the aerial attack. The site is a key point in the Transneft pipeline network. NASA’s FIRMS satellite system also recorded numerous fire outbreaks in the Novorossiysk area.

Reuters cited two unnamed industry sources who said that Transneft's oil exports from Novorossiysk were suspended after the attack.

Due to the overnight attack, the airports in Krasnodar and Gelendzhik temporarily suspended operations.

Ukraine reveals new Neptune launcher platform

On 14 November, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy published a video showing a modified launcher for the “Long Neptune” cruise missile.

Militarnyi notes that the system is mounted on a Tatra chassis and fitted with square transport-launch containers designed for two longer missiles. Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces used the Long Neptunes successfully overnight against designated targets in Russian territory.

The Ukrainian strikes came amid Russia's massive air and drone attack on Kyiv. Zelenskyy called the Ukrainian strike a “just response to continued Russian terror” and stated that Ukrainian missiles demonstrate growing accuracy and effectiveness each month. 

Russia issues official statements

Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed that its air defense forces shot down 66 Ukrainian drones over Krasnodar Krai during the night. 

The emergency task force of Krasnodar Krai acknowledged damage to the oil depot at the Sheskharis transshipment complex and a "civilian" ship in the port — possibly an oil tanker of Russia's "shadow fleet," used to circumvent G7's oil sanctions. 

It also claimed that drone debris have fallen in several areas of the city.

On 3 November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that missile production is progressing well, with mass production of several systems expected to be completed by the end of the year. He also mentioned the deployment of new missile models and the expansion of production capacities, particularly for interceptor drones and maritime unmanned vehicles, UNIAN reports. 

Tools of response and strategic pressure

“We are deploying new missiles, including the ‘Flamingo,’” Zelenskyy said.

He did not specify quantities but has noted that the country expects mass production by year-end. He also emphasized the “Neptune” series, already in production and delivering strong results.

“We have standard and extended versions, both performing very well," he explained. 

According to Zelenskyy, these systems are effective against energy infrastructure strikes, targeting resources that fund the aggressor.

Scaling production: 600–800 interceptor drones Per Day

Ukraine is also accelerating production of interceptor UAVs, aiming to reach 600–800 units per day by the end of November, “if all goes according to plan.”

Zelenskyy acknowledged potential setbacks, such as attacks on factories or damage to workshops, but stressed that “so far we have not lost any type of long-range weapon.”

The industry is working alongside the military, with repair teams and logistics restoring production capacity even after strikes.

Berlin and Copenhagen as first hubs of weapon exports

Zelenskyy announced the creation of two European export hubs: “These are for weapons we can afford to sell. The first two will be Berlin and Copenhagen, decided at the company level, and operational this year.”

Revenue from exports will support domestic production of scarce systems. Ukraine also has a surplus of maritime drones and certain artillery systems available for export, provided that proper safety and regulatory oversight are in place.

The Ukrainian president proposed a fair financial mechanism: partners could fully fund the production of scarce weapons in Ukraine, with the resulting systems to be split equally, a method to rapidly mobilize both partner and Ukrainian industrial capacity.

Ukraine's Navy announced on 31 October that its forces deployed domestically manufactured Neptune cruise missiles in overnight strikes targeting key energy installations deep inside Russian territory on 31 October.

The missiles hit the Oryol Thermal Power Plant and the Novobryansk electrical substation in Russia's Oryol Oblast, according to the Navy's statement. Both sites provided electricity to military production facilities across the region.

"The Ukrainian military continues to demonstrate that no enemy rear is safe," the Navy reported on Telegram, adding that disabling the infrastructure "dealt a serious blow to the occupiers' logistics."

The Neptune missile system, originally designed as Ukraine's ground-launched anti-ship weapon with a 300-kilometer range, gained international attention in April 2022 when Ukrainian forces used it to sink the Moskva, Russia's Black Sea Fleet flagship. The country has since developed multiple upgraded variants of the missile.

Surveillance cameras captured the moment of impact at the Oryol plant, showing a massive explosion. Residents in Oryol city reported hearing blasts during the night, Russian opposition outlet Astra said. The channel's analysis of footage revealed two separate strikes on the facility, which triggered power outages throughout the city.

Oryol Oblast Governor Andrey Klychkov offered a different account, claiming the plant was damaged by "debris from intercepted drones" that struck "power supply equipment." He reported no fires or casualties and said emergency crews were responding. Repairs were underway and electricity had been "almost completely restored," Klychkov stated.

Before the attack, the governor had issued warnings about missile threats in the oblast. Residents told Astra the explosions didn't sound like drone strikes.

The Oryol TPP operates with an electrical capacity of at least 330 megawatts. RIR Energo owns the facility—one of Russia's largest territorial power companies and a subsidiary of state energy giant Rosatom.

Multiple explosions also rocked the Russian cities of Vladimir and Yaroslavl overnight, Russian Telegram channels reported. Local residents said air defense systems were active in both locations.

Open-source investigators at Astra identified an electrical substation in Vladimir as the target of those attacks. The "Vladimir" substation, with a capacity around 4,010 MVA, functions as a central node in the region's power grid.

Vladimir Oblast Governor Alexander Avdeyev confirmed a strike on infrastructure near the city but didn't specify the substation. "The enemy carried out an attack on infrastructure near the city of Vladimir. All systems are currently operating normally. Specialists are working on site," he said.

In Yaroslavl, explosions were reported near the Novo-Yaroslavsky oil refinery—Russia's fifth-largest, processing 15 million tons of crude oil annually. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these reports.

The Ukrainian strikes followed a Russian mass attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure the previous night. On 30 October, Russian forces launched missiles and drones against multiple thermal power plants across Ukraine, according to DTEK, the country's largest private energy company.

Later that same day, Russia struck the Sloviansk Thermal Power Plant in Donetsk Oblast, killing two people and injuring others.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized Russia's targeting of Ukrainian energy facilities as "exclusively terror."