The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) conducted a drone attack on one of Russia's largest commercial seaports, Ust-Luga, in Leningrad Oblast on Jan. 4, an intelligence source told The Kyiv Independent on Jan. 6.
According to the source, Ukrainian long-range drones flew over 900 kilometers (559 miles) and almost reached St. Petersburg.
The source shared a video purporting to show one of the drones hitting gas condensate tanks. One tank was heavily damaged, and three others suffered damage from explosive debris, they added.
Experts suggest that it will take at least a month to repair the facility and will lead to interruptions in the terminal's operations.
"The Ust-Luga terminal is a major logistics hub in the Baltic Sea. Russia sells oil and gas via it with the help of the 'shadow fleet.' Drone sanctions from the SBU reduce the flow of currency that Russia needs to wage war," the source said.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
The Jan. 4 attack on the Russian port in Leningrad Oblast is not the first attack of its kind. On Jan. 24, 2024, Novatek's gas-condensate plant caught fire at the port of Ust-Luga following a possible coordinated effort by Ukraine to strike key targets deep inside Russian territory.
The Ust-Luga Commercial Seaport began operations in December 2001 with the opening of a coal terminal. In the early 2020s, it became one of the largest seaports in Russia.
Kateryna Denisova
