Ukraine Hits Key Russia-Iran Shipping Hub on Caspian Sea in First Makhachkala Port Strike

Ukrainian drones struck the Makhachkala International Commercial Seaport on Russia’s Caspian coast overnight on September 10, hitting a strategically important transport hub linked to maritime traffic with Iran roughly 1,000 kilometers from Ukraine’s border, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed.

The Ukrainian OSINT community Exilenova+ published footage of the operation.

Residents of Makhachkala reported explosions around the port during the overnight raid, marking the first known Ukrainian strike on port infrastructure in the city.

The target is particularly significant because Makhachkala serves as one of Russia’s principal maritime gateways on the Caspian Sea and maintains extensive shipping links with Iran.

The port has been used by vessels traveling between Russia and Iranian ports, including routes associated with the movement of military cargo and components for Iranian-designed drones supplied to Moscow.

Cargo arriving through Makhachkala can then move farther into Russia by road, rail and air, making the port part of a broader logistics network connecting Iranian suppliers with Russian military infrastructure.

Makhachkala is also Russia’s only ice-free deepwater commercial port on the Caspian Sea, allowing it to operate year-round.

The facility handles both liquid and dry cargo, with oil and petroleum products playing an increasingly important role in its operations.

Cargo volumes have surged during Russia’s war against Ukraine. During the first eight months of 2026, the port handled more than 2.9 million metric tons of cargo, an increase of 42.5% compared with the same period last year.

Oil accounted for more than 2.08 million tons of that total, rising nearly 50% year over year.

The acceleration was already evident earlier in 2026. Cargo turnover reached 1.4 million metric tons during the first four months of the year and climbed to 2.11 million tons by the end of June, roughly 50% above the same period in 2025.

Liquid cargo drove most of that expansion. During the first half of the year alone, the port handled nearly 1.57 million metric tons of oil and other liquid cargo.

Previously, Ukraine’s Security Service used long-range drones to strike multiple military and logistical targets across Russia overnight on July 25, including maritime targets in the Caspian Sea.

Ukrainian drones struck several targets in the Caspian Sea, including the Filanovsky offshore oil platform, the sanctioned cargo vessel Port Olya 2, the dry cargo ship Begey, and a Russian Project 12418 Molniya missile boat.

Ukrainian military intelligence further reported that Begey had been used to transport ammunition, artillery shells, body armor, and helmets from Iran across the Caspian Sea. During voyages between Iranian and Russian ports, the vessel’s crew allegedly switched off its Automatic Identification System (AIS), according to Ukrainian authorities.

Earlier, reports emerged that Ukraine carried out a drone attack against a sanctioned Russian cargo ship in the Mediterranean Sea, striking the vessel 12 times as it allegedly transported Iranian weapons and armored vehicles to Russia.

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