Russia’s Ust-Luga port damaged by more Ukrainian drones
The Baltic port of Ust-Luga, one of Russia’s biggest oil export hubs, was damaged again in a Ukrainian drone attack, sparking a fire that was later brought under control.
This follows Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia’s western energy corridor last week, when facilities at the ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk came under fire, setting storage tanks on fire and causing oil and petroleum product shipments to be suspended.
Firefighters brought the fire under control at the port and nearby areas on Sunday, the Leningrad regional governor said.
Ukraine’s SBU security agency said long-range drones hit an oil terminal in Ust-Luga.
The statement stated that the strike caused “serious damage” and a fire at the port.
The latest attacks have caused severe disruptions in oil supplies for Russia, the world’s “second-largest oil exporter”, and come just as oil prices have surpassed US$100 ($A145) per barrel due to the Iran war.
“Additional fire-fighting resources from the Leningrad region and St. Petersburg, including two fire trains, were involved in extinguishing the fire in the port,” Regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko wrote on Telegram on Sunday.
He said a residence in a nearby community was damaged.
Drozdenko had said earlier in the day that Ukrainian drones had hit the region in waves.
The port, operated by Russian oil pipeline monopoly Transneft, exports about 700,000 barrels of oil per day and shipped 32.9 million metric tons of oil products in 2025, according to sources.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the extent of damage.
Meanwhile, police said three people were killed and 13 others were injured in a Russian attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk on Sunday.
Ukrainian national police said a 13-year-old boy was among the dead.
The statement stated that Russian forces used skimming bombs in the attack on Kramatorsk.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is seeking support from Gulf states for Ukraine’s war against Russia, as Western military aid faces new uncertainty and Kiev struggles to close its budget deficit and finance domestic arms production.
Kiev has offered its air defense expertise and drone technology to countries seeking to counter Iran’s drone attacks.
“We know from our own experience that without a unified system, it is impossible to ensure full protection of people and critical infrastructure,” Zelenskiy wrote.
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