Ukraine Uses \’Long Neptune\’ Missiles to Halt Oil Exports at Russia\’s Novorossiysk After Kyiv Attack

KYIV/NOVOROSSIYSK — The war between Russia and Ukraine escalated dramatically overnight as both sides launched high-stakes strikes against critical infrastructure, with Kyiv bearing the brunt of a massive Russian aerial assault while Ukraine simultaneously targeted a key Russian oil hub.

At least five people were killed and dozens injured in Kyiv after Russia unleashed a barrage of approximately 430 drones and 18 missiles across the capital and other regions. The strikes caused residential buildings in virtually every district of Kyiv to be affected, with one drone piercing an apartment block in the Lisovyi area, leading to a partial collapse and multiple fatalities.

In a swift and successful counterattack, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine had deployed long-range \”Long Neptune\” cruise missiles against targets deep inside Russia.

The attacks successfully struck the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, damaging the major Sheskharis oil refinery and a container terminal. Krasnodar governor Veniamin Kondratyev reported that three crew members and another man were injured. Critically, local authorities were forced to declare a state of emergency, and reports indicate that oil exports from the major port have been temporarily halted.

The simultaneous strikes underscore the war\’s intensifying focus on energy infrastructure. Russia claims its attacks are aimed at Ukrainian military facilities, a claim Kyiv refutes, pointing to repeated damage to civilian homes and critical infrastructure that has left parts of the capital without heat. Ukrainian MP Lisa Yasko described the overnight attack as \”massive, with drones, with ballistic missiles, with lots of air defence working.\”

The strikes come amid ongoing international debate over sanctions on Russian energy. President Zelensky has called for \”no exceptions\” to Western sanctions, though the US recently granted Hungary a one-year exemption following a meeting between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and US President Donald Trump.