Strasbourg 06.05.2025 Today the explosions and fires rocked Sudan’s wartime capital Port Sudan, a witness said, part of a days-long drone assault that has torched the country’s biggest fuel depots and damaged its primary gateway for humanitarian aid in a major escalation.

🇸🇩 This morning, the RSF launched a major drone assault on Port Sudan, targeting civilian infrastructure such as the airport, oil depots, and terminal, alongside SAF barracks.

The attack also struck a hotel and the guest palace where General Burhan stays. pic.twitter.com/299jnFYeaD

— Vanguard Intel Group 🛡 (@vanguardintel) May 6, 2025

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The strikes included an unmanned aerial vehicle attack by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Port Sudan facilities, targeting the container terminal, British maritime security firm Ambrey reported.

The destruction of fuel facilities and damage to the airport and port risk intensifying Sudan’s humanitarian crisis, which the U.N. calls the world’s worst, by throttling aid deliveries by road and hitting power output and cooking gas supplies.

🇸🇩 Sudan officially declares the UAE an "Aggressor State"

Sudan severs diplomatic ties with the UAE, withdraws its ambassador, and closes its embassy in the UAE.

In accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, Sudan reserves the right to self-defense by all means. pic.twitter.com/BaewwzLOVL

— Yusuf (@TurtleYusuf) May 6, 2025

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Port Sudan had enjoyed relative calm since the civil war between the army and the RSF suddenly erupted in April 2023. The Red Sea city became the base for the army-aligned government after the RSF swept through much of the capital, Khartoum, at the start of the conflict.

Hundreds of thousands of displaced people have also sought refuge in the city, where U.N. officials, diplomats and agencies have also set up headquarters, making it the main base for aid operations.
Inside Port Sudan, the attack on the electricity substation led to a power outage across the city while army units deployed around public buildings, the witness said.

Explosions rocked Sudan's wartime capital Port Sudan as part of a dayslong drone attack that damaged the country's airport and port, putting aid deliveries at risk. pic.twitter.com/vrr0Y3ysYu

— DW News (@dwnews) May 6, 2025

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Momentum in the conflict has repeatedly swung back and forth but neither side has looked likely to win outright. The drone strikes on Port Sudan open a new front, targeting the army’s main stronghold in eastern Sudan after it drove the RSF back westwards across much of central Sudan, including Khartoum, in March.

Military analysts believe the RSF now possesses advanced drones capable of evading ground-based air defenses, warning that the increase in the RSF’s firepower and ability to carry out long-range attacks could further prolong and intensify the ongoing armed conflict.

The devastating conflict between the army and the RSF has so far claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions of people both inside and outside the country.