At least eight people, including two children, were injured on Monday during a Ukrainian drone strike in the Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk, Russian authorities said. Several residential houses were damaged, though officials did not confirm whether the port itself, Russia’s largest oil-exporting hub on the Black Sea, was hit.

Novorossiysk serves as a critical energy and logistics hub, hosting the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s terminal, which exports oil from Kazakhstan. Shareholders of the consortium include major U.S. energy companies such as Chevron and ExxonMobil, making the area strategically significant both domestically and internationally.

The drone strike comes amid a sharp intensification of Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Kyiv has increasingly targeted key oil-exporting facilities on both the Baltic and Black Seas to reduce Moscow’s revenue from oil sales, a vital component of its economy.

Emergency services in Novorossiysk responded swiftly to the incident, providing medical care to the injured. Authorities said the victims, including the children, were being treated for moderate injuries, and no fatalities had been reported as of Monday evening.

Residents described chaotic scenes following the attacks, with emergency sirens blaring and families evacuating damaged homes. Security forces reportedly increased local patrols and tightened monitoring of the area’s airspace to prevent further incidents.

Analysts say the strike highlights the growing vulnerability of Russian port regions amid the ongoing conflict, emphasizing the strategic importance of energy facilities. While civilian injuries remain limited, the attacks underscore rising tensions and the potential economic and geopolitical impact of targeted strikes on critical infrastructure.