Editorial pack · DroneLedger
Drone strikes hit Port Sudan over several days, damaging fuel depots, the airport and the main power substation
Current state
From 4 May 2025 drones struck military and civilian sites in Port Sudan, the army-aligned government's wartime base on the Red Sea, over several days. Reported targets include a military base near the airport, fuel depots, the airport, a hotel near the presidential residence and the city's main power substation. Military sources blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which did not claim the attacks.
Evidence states
| Drone presence | confirmed · sources [1], [2], [3] |
|---|---|
| Impact | confirmed · sources [1], [2], [3] |
| Attribution | suspected · sources [1], [2], [3] |
Fuel depots burned, air traffic was halted on 6 May at the only airport still handling international civilian flights, and a strike on the main power substation caused a blackout across the city. The maritime security firm Ambrey reported drone strikes on the container terminal. No immediate reports of casualties were given in the AFP report. Nearly all humanitarian aid into Sudan arrives through Port Sudan, and the UN chief called the reports of attacks a worrying development.
Officials of the national electricity company and the airport confirmed drone hits, AFP and Reuters correspondents or witnesses reported explosions and smoke, and Ambrey reported drone strikes on the container terminal. Blame for the strikes rests on military sources and residents, not on a claim of responsibility or an independent investigation.
Claims
3 sources · 8 original statements. Sources that repeat the same statement count once.
| Claim and source passage | Original source | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| The national electricity company said drones hit Port Sudan's main power substation, causing a blackout across the city. “Later in the morning, drones hit Port Sudan's main power substation, the national electricity company said, causing a blackout across the city.” [3] | National electricity company (relayed) | supports: An official utility statement; together with the airport official and Ambrey it supports the confirmed drone status. |
| An airport official told AFP that a drone hit the civilian section of the airport. “One drone hit "the civilian section of the Port Sudan airport", an airport official told AFP” [3] | Port Sudan airport official (relayed) | supports: Unnamed official quoted by AFP. |
| The maritime security firm Ambrey reported drone strikes that targeted Port Sudan's container terminal. “The action included drone strikes by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that targeted Port Sudan's container terminal, British maritime security firm Ambrey reported.” [2] | Ambrey, a British maritime security firm (relayed) | supports: A source independent of the Sudanese parties for the drone strikes; its naming of the RSF is not adopted as established attribution. |
| Military sources blamed the paramilitary RSF for the attacks on Port Sudan. “Military sources have blamed the paramilitary RSF for the attacks on Port Sudan since Sunday.” [2] | Sudanese military sources (relayed) | supports: Anonymous sources aligned with one party to the conflict. |
| Residents told Al Jazeera they believed the RSF carried out the drone strikes. “they believe that it was drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces – once again” [1] | Port Sudan residents, via an Al Jazeera correspondent (relayed) | supports: Belief of residents, not evidence. |
| The RSF did not address the drone attacks in a statement late on Tuesday. “In a statement late Tuesday, the RSF did not address the drone attacks on Port Sudan.” [1] | Al Jazeera | context: No claim of responsibility and no denial. |
| Sudan's army-aligned information minister accused the UAE of supplying the drones to the RSF. “accused the UAE of supplying the drones used in the attack to "its proxy", the RSF” [3] | Sudan's army-aligned information minister (relayed) | context: Accusation by a party to the conflict; Al Jazeera notes that the UAE has consistently denied backing the RSF. |
| The UN chief said reports of paramilitary attacks on Port Sudan were a worrying development for civilian protection and humanitarian operations. “reports of paramilitary attacks on Port Sudan were a "worrying development threatening the protection of civilians and humanitarian operations"” [3] | UN Secretary-General (relayed) | context: Expresses concern about the reports; it does not itself attribute the attacks. |
Not established
Who launched the drones and from where, the type of drones, and the full extent of damage and casualties. The RSF's statement did not address the attacks. Sudan's army-aligned government accused the UAE of supplying the drones to the RSF; the UAE has consistently denied backing the RSF.
Sudanese military sources blamed the RSF, and residents told Al Jazeera they believed RSF drone strikes were responsible. The RSF did not address the attacks in a statement late on 6 May. Sudan's army-aligned government severed diplomatic relations with the UAE over alleged arming of the RSF. None of this has been independently established.
Chronology
- 04 May 2025: Drones struck a military base in Port Sudan near the airport; military sources blamed the RSF. [1]
- 05 May 2025: The country's main fuel depot was hit, causing a massive blaze just south of the city. [3]
- 06 May 2025: Drones hit the civilian section of the airport and the main power substation; air traffic was halted and a blackout hit the city. [3]
- 06 May 2025: Sudan's army-aligned government cut diplomatic relations with the UAE; the RSF's statement did not address the drone attacks. [1]
Sources
- Al Jazeera: Total blackout after drone strikes, fire in Sudanese city of Port Sudan (2025-05-06, source family: sudan-military-sources)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/6/explosions-huge-fire-in-sudanese-city-of-port-sudan - TimesLIVE (Reuters report): Drone strikes pound Port Sudan, putting aid deliveries at risk (2025-05-07, source family: sudan-military-sources)
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/africa/2025-05-07-drone-strikes-pound-port-sudan-putting-aid-deliveries-at-risk/ - Eyewitness News (AFP report): Drone strikes rock Port Sudan in third day of attacks (2025-05-06, source family: sudan-military-sources)
https://www.ewn.co.za/2025/05/06/drone-strikes-rock-port-sudan-in-third-day-of-attacks
How to cite
DroneLedger. “Drone strikes hit Port Sudan over several days, damaging fuel depots, the airport and the main power substation.” Dossier port-sudan-drone-attacks-2025-05-04, revision 1, updated 12 Oct 2026. https://droneincidents.com/incident/port-sudan-drone-attacks-2025-05-04/v1/
Editorial changes
- Revision 1 (2026-10-12): Curated dossier created after checking the cited sources line by line.
Evidence states: confirmed = established by the cited evidence; reported = stated by a source, not independently established; inconclusive; debunked; unknown. A claim by a party to a conflict remains a claim. Methodology: https://droneincidents.com/methodology/