Ukraine reportedly strikes Ust-Luga Baltic Sea port as drones attack regions across Russia
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Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Ukrainian drones struck the Ust-Luga Baltic Sea port in western Russia's Leningrad Oblast overnight on Nov. 11, monitoring channels reported.
The site, located near Russia's border with Estonia, was set ablaze, where explosions also broke out, according to Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova Plus.
Explosions sounded in other Russian regions as drones moved across the country.
A residential building was damaged in Russia's Smolensk Oblast amid a Ukrainian drone attack, and air defenses were engaged in the city of Tver, the channel reported.
In the Adygea Republic, explosions were heard, and a fire was reported on the roof of a residential building after electronic warfare systems were allegedly enabled, according to Exilenova Plus.
The Ust-Luga port has been sanctioned by the European Union, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Switzerland for its role in Russia's war against Ukraine.
Ust-Luga is one of Russia's ports "used to transport Russian crude oil by using the shadow fleet and other irregular and high-risk shipping practices," according to the European Commission's Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood.
Russia's shadow fleet aims to circumvent pre-existing sanctions, often using vessels with false flags or foreign registration to export oil.
On Oct. 12, the French Navy intercepted and boarded a tanker suspected of flying under a false flag as part of the shadow fleet, French President Emmanuel Macron said.
The reported attack on Ust-Luga does not mark the first time Ukrainian forces targeted infrastructure at the port.
Early on Sept. 1, Ukrainian drones struck the Novatek-Ust-Luga complex, damaging key components of an oil-processing unit and other technological equipment, causing a large fire at the facility, Ukraine's military intelligence agency confirmed.
