Russia’s largest oil port blitzed in Ukrainian drone attack
A major Ukrainian drone strike severely damaged Russia’s largest oil-export port early Monday, according to officials, with images showing massive flames rising from the facility.
Multiple blasts tore through large sections of the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk, a critical hub that handles at least one million barrels of oil daily. The disruption comes at a time when global energy markets are already under pressure due to rising prices linked to the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
The drones reportedly hit fuel storage tanks at the port, which is known to host Russia’s covert fleet of so-called “shadow ships.” Satellite imagery captured smoke billowing from several parts of the terminal following the attack. At the same time, Russian air defenses were scrambling overnight to shoot down more than 70 additional drones over the Leningrad region, according to regional governor Alexander Drozdenko.
This was not the first Ukrainian strike on Primorsk, which lies about 62 miles from St. Petersburg. In September, the port was also hit by a wave of drones that disrupted oil loading operations.
Over the weekend, Ukraine intensified attacks on Russian infrastructure. On Sunday, the Baltic port of Ust-Luga was also targeted, forcing a temporary halt to operations, Reuters reported. It remains unclear whether the facility sustained major damage.
The latest strike followed another reported attack on an oil refinery in southwestern Russia just hours earlier, according to Bloomberg. Last week, Ukraine launched nearly 300 drones at targets inside Russia in one of the largest coordinated attacks since the war began. Among the targets was an oil depot in Saratov that processes roughly five million tons of oil annually.
Meanwhile, the price of Russia’s Urals crude — which many Western buyers have avoided — has climbed sharply in recent weeks, rising from about $45 per barrel to $76. The increase has coincided with broader tensions in global energy markets as fighting continues in Iran.
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