Ukraine Strikes Russian Supply Port in Occupied Mariupol Used to Feed Southern Front

A fire was reported at the port of Mariupol in temporarily Russian-occupied Donetsk region following a Ukrainian drone strike overnight on June 6.

According to footage and images published by the monitoring channel Exilenova+, thick black smoke was seen rising above Mariupol’s port after explosions were reported in the city overnight on June 6.

Mariupol’s commercial seaport is the largest and deepest-water port on the Sea of Azov. Since Russia’s occupation of the city in 2022, the facility has been integrated into Moscow’s logistics network and is used to support transportation and supply operations across temporarily occupied territories.

The port is connected to rail lines and major road routes linking temporarily occupied parts of south of Ukraine with Russia, including connections toward Rostov-on-Don.

Analysts and Ukrainian officials have previously noted that the facility can be used to move fuel, military equipment, ammunition, and other cargo, reducing pressure on alternative logistics routes such as the Kerch Bridge and rail corridors running through temporarily occupied territory.

The port is also capable of receiving smaller tankers operating from Russian ports in the Sea of Azov basin, including Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog, and Yeysk, allowing fuel shipments to be delivered by sea.

The reported strike comes amid a broader wave of Ukrainian long-range drone operations targeting Russian military and logistics infrastructure.

Earlier on June 6, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed strikes against military facilities in Russia’s Leningrad region, including targets in Kronstadt, where Ukrainian forces reportedly hit infrastructure associated with Russia’s Baltic Fleet.

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