Drones attacked Makhachkala: Russian authorities confirmed fire in seaport

On the night of September 10, Makhachkala in Russia's Dagestan was attacked by drones. One of the targets was likely the Makhachkala Commercial Seaport: local authorities later officially confirmed a fire at port infrastructure.

This was reported by Astra based on eyewitness videos, reports from local residents and its own OSINT analysis.

The first reports of explosions in Makhachkala began to appear around 3 AM. Local residents reported air defense activity and explosions near the seaport. Monitoring channel Exilenova+ also published a video of the attack moments and reported smoke in the port area.

After analyzing the videos, Astra concluded that one of the likely targets of the attack was the Makhachkala Commercial Seaport and that hits may have occurred on its territory.

Later, Russian authorities confirmed the consequences of the attack at the port. Acting head of Dagestan Fedor Shchukin stated that fires broke out at port infrastructure in Makhachkala after the attack.

Russian side claims that air defense forces destroyed all aerial targets, and fires broke out as a result of falling debris. At the same time, authorities did not name the number of drones that attacked the city or the number of supposedly downed targets.

According to Shchukin, the fire at port infrastructure was extinguished. The scale of damage and specific port facilities affected are not officially reported. According to Russian authorities, there are no dead or wounded.

The Makhachkala Commercial Seaport is the only non-freezing deep-water Russian port on the Caspian Sea and operates year-round. It handles liquid and dry cargo, including oil, grain and containers.

According to the port itself, for January-August 2026, its cargo turnover exceeded 2.9 million tons, which is 42.5% more than in the same period last year. In August, the company also set a historical record for grain transshipment.

In addition to the port, the aftermath of the attack was recorded in the area of the Avar Music and Drama Theater named after Gamzat Tsadasa. Astra determined from eyewitness videos that an explosion occurred there. Later, Dagestan authorities confirmed a fire in the building and reported damage to the theater roof.