In Makhachkala, drones attacked the port area: forces of Caspian Flotilla are based nearby. VIDEO
A series of explosions rocked Makhachkala, the capital of the Russian republic of Dagestan, on the night of 10 September. Monitoring sources reported a drone attack in the area of the seaport. Local residents have posted videos of the explosions and claim that the strikes targeted port infrastructure.
According to Censor.NET, this has been reported by Russian Telegram channels and OSINT communities.
The footage released shows flashes and explosions. However, there is currently no independent confirmation of exactly which facility was targeted or what damage the infrastructure sustained.
Nor has the information that the oil terminal itself was directly hit been confirmed. At the time of publication, Russian official bodies had not reported any details regarding the consequences of the attack.
The port of Makhachkala is of great importance
The Makhachkala commercial seaport is situated on the western coast of the Caspian Sea and comprises a dry cargo harbour and an oil harbour. It is used for transport links between Russia and Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, particularly as part of the ‘North–South’ international corridor.
The oil harbour has specialised berths for tankers. According to the data cited in the article, the port’s oil transhipment capacity stood at 7.9 million tonnes per year. Between January and August 2026, over 2.9 million tonnes of cargo passed through the Port of Makhachkala, which is 42.5 per cent more than in the same period last year.
The Caspian Flotilla is based nearby
Makhachkala also holds military significance. The city’s dry cargo harbour has historically been the base for units of the Russian Federation’s Caspian Flotilla, including missile ships and boats, landing boats and support vessels.
Forces of the Caspian Flotilla are also stationed in neighbouring Kaspiysk. Russia used ships from this formation to launch missile strikes against Ukraine during the full-scale war.
