Russia burning as huge explosion rips through key oil port after Ukraine 'monster' strike

Ukraine's 'monster' missile allegedly waged the attack on Russian oil infrastructure (Image: East2West)

The moment a Russian port town burst into flames after a major oil port exploded following a "monster" missile attack from Ukraine has been caught on camera. Tuapse, a key Russian outlet for exporting fuel on the Black Sea, was targeted by Kyiv using its new long-range FP-5 "Flamingo" missile overnight, according to reports. Footage showed a huge explosion at the export site, after reports that a vessel rumoured to be an oil tanker caught fire in what was also believed to be a Ukrainian attack on Monday.

Moscow suspended fuel exports following Ukrainian drone attacks on its infrastructure on November 2, according to Reuters. While Kyiv has not confirmed it was behind the Tuapse attack, Russian news channels have speculated that it was the work of Volodymyr Zelensky's new Flamingo missile. The monster bomb can carry a payload of up to 1,150 kilograms and has a range of 3,000 kilometres.

Russian media suggested a crater on the port town's beach was evidence of the 'Flamingo' missile (Image: East2West)

The Russian Telegram channel For Freedom alleged that "something pink" had detonated near a key export port in Tuapse, while others pointed to a huge crater reportedly caused by a missile that missed its target and instead hit part of the beach.

The crater was "clearly left by a very heavy munition, not a simple kamikaze drone", one Moscow media channel suggested.

The massive explosion also damaged properties on the shore, according to reports.

Russia said on Monday that it had destroyed four Ukrainian drone boats near the Black Sea town after one of them detonated near the coast, sending shockwaves onto the shore and damaging buildings.

Ukraine first used the Flamingo missile against Russia this summer (Image: ZN.UA/AFP via Getty Images)

It's not the first time Ukraine has used its home-produced missile to launch an assault on Russia, with a series of attacks on infrastructure sites launched in recent months.

It earned the name "Flamingo" because of an initial factory error that resulted in a pink hue, and as well as posing an effective weapon in targeting the industry Russia uses to fuel its war against Ukraine, it is also thought to be a more economical option for Kyiv.

Manufacturers have said it is constructed from low-scraps, affording it a second affectionate nickname of the "junkyard" missile.

Serial production of the weapon, which is not subject to Western vetoes on usage, unlike those supplied by Britain, the US and France, is thought to be underway after it was first deployed over the summer.