Ukraine war latest: For 3rd night straight, explosions rock Russian oil terminals in Leningrad Oblast
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Key developments on March 27:
- For 3rd night straight, explosions rock Russian oil terminals in Leningrad Oblast
- Ukraine, Saudi Arabia sign major defense deal amid Iran war
- Russian attacks kill 1, injure 13 in Ukraine over past day
- Russia auctions off gold deposit in occupied Luhansk, Reuters reports
Ukrainian drones reportedly struck oil terminals in the port cities of Ust-Luga and Primorsk in Russia's Leningrad Oblast overnight on March 27, Russian Telegram media channels reported.
The reported strikes mark the third straight night of attacks targeting oil facilities in the region.
Ukraine launched a mass overnight attack on March 25, hitting an energy terminal in the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga and a Russian military icebreaker in the port of Vyborg. While on March 26, Ukrainian forces struck the Kirishi Petroleum Organic Synthesis (Kinef) oil refinery in the city of Kirishi, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed.
In the early hours of March 27, local residents reported hearing explosions in the area of the oil terminals, located off the Baltic Sea, as officials warned of a drone attack on the region. Photos and videos posted to social media appear to show flames emanating from the site of the attacks.
Although there was no immediate confirmation as to what was struck in the attack or the extent of the damage caused, preliminary reports indicate that a holding tank storing oil products had detonated in the attack on Ust-Luga.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on March 27 that its air defense downed 85 Ukrainian drones overnight, including over Leningrad Oblast and Vologda Oblast, as well as the Black Sea.
Vologda Oblast Governor Georgy Filimonov reported eight Ukrainian drone strikes on an unnamed industrial site in Cherepovets, but said there was no damage to the district's critical infrastructure. He said there were no casualties.
The Kyiv Independent cannot immediately verify the reports. Ukraine's military has not yet commented on the reported attack.
Explosions were also reported in the city of Cherepovets, where local residents said drones targeted the Apatit chemical plant, part of the PhosAgro Group's industrial complex.
The facility is the largest producer of phosphate-based fertilizers, phosphoric acid, and sulfuric acid in Europe, and one of Russia’s leading producers of NPK fertilizers.
Ust-Luga is one of Russia's largest ports on the Baltic Sea and a major hub for exporting crude oil and petroleum products. While Primorsk handles around 60 million tons of oil annually and is Russia's main oil export hub on the Baltic Sea.
The ports, located in the range of approximately 1,000 kilometers north of Ukraine’s closest border, play an important role in generating revenue for the Kremlin's state budget.
Ukrainian forces continue to intensify attacks on Russia's oil industry, even as Moscow has begun to see additional profits from the global supply disruption triggered by the war in Iran.
Reuters reported on March 25 that Ukrainian drone strikes, pipeline damage, and tanker seizures have halted about 40% of Russia's oil export capacity — the worst disruption to oil supply in modern Russian history.
Ukraine, Saudi Arabia sign major defense deal amid Iran war
Riyadh and Kyiv signed a major defense agreement in which Ukraine offers its expertise and technology to strengthen Saudi air defenses, the Presidential Office announced on March 27.
"The document lays the foundation for future contracts, technological cooperation, and investment, while also strengthening Ukraine's international role as a security donor," the office said in a statement.
The deal was signed just before President Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.
Their meeting took place during the Ukrainian leader's surprise visit to Saudi Arabia, even as Tehran continues to launch drones and missiles across the region in retaliation for the weeks-long U.S.-Israeli aerial campaign.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine is ready to help Saudi Arabia "protect lives" while also signaling interest in certain "capabilities" on Riyadh's part.
The two leaders also discussed the situation in the Middle East, Russia's support for Iran, and potential energy cooperation between Kyiv and Riyadh.
Zelensky previously revealed that Ukraine deployed over 200 specialists in the Middle East and Gulf countries to help counter Iranian Shahed-type drones, broadly used by Russia in attacks against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Ukraine is also close to finalizing security agreements with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to help counter Iranian drones, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told Reuters in an interview.
Similar discussions have been held with Kuwait, Jordan, and Oman, he added.
The Kyiv Independent reported on March 10 that Riyadh and Kyiv were in talks for a "huge" arms deal, and that a Saudi Arabian arms company signed a separate agreement to buy Ukrainian-made interceptor missiles.
Saudi Arabia has sought to position itself as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war, hosting talks between Ukrainian and U.S. officials last March on a plan to end the war.
Tehran, in turn, has been a close strategic partner of Moscow, providing drones, missiles, and other arms for its all-out war in Ukraine.
Russian attacks kill 1, injure 13 in Ukraine over past day
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed at least one civilian and injured at least 13 others over the past day, regional authorities reported on March 27.
Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 102 drones overnight, of which around 60 were Shahed-type drones, the Air Force reported on March 27. It reported downing 93 of them in the north, south, and east of the country.
In eastern Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks have killed at least one person and wounded another over the past day, regional governor Vadym Filashkin reported on March 27.
In Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv in the northeast, two people were wounded over the past day, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on March 27. In the surrounding oblast, nine people, including women aged 53, 67, and 90, were wounded over the past day, according to Syniehubov.
In the southern city of Kherson, a morning Russian drone attack on a civilian vehicle injured a 53-year-old man, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported in the evening of March 26. He said the victim's condition is stable.
Ukraine's state-run oil and gas giant, Naftogaz, said on March 27 that its gas production facility in central Poltava Oblast came under attack, sustaining "serious damage." It said that fire erupted at the facility, and operations have been suspended for the time being. It did not report any casualties thus far.
"Since the beginning of this year alone, Russia has attacked Naftogaz Group infrastructure nearly 40 times," Naftogaz CEO Serhii Koretskyi said.
In central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a Russian attack damaged an unnamed infrastructure site and started a fire, but there were no casualties, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha reported late on March 26.
Russia auctions off gold deposit in occupied Luhansk, Reuters reports
Russia is auctioning off natural resource assets in occupied Ukrainian territories, including a gold deposit in Luhansk Oblast, Reuters reported on March 26, citing auction documents.
The rights to develop the Bobrykivske gold ore deposit were sold for $9.7 million to a company controlled by Russian mining firm Polyanka.
According to auction data, the deposit contains an estimated 1.64 metric tons of gold, which at current market prices could be worth nearly $260 million.
Before Russia seized Crimea and began its war in eastern Ukraine in 2014, the site was being developed by Australian company Korab Resources.
Reuters reported that Moscow is putting dozens of assets in occupied territories up for online auction, including mines, quarries, and agricultural land.
The report comes amid broader efforts by Russia to exploit natural resources in occupied Ukraine, including a large lithium deposit in Donetsk Oblast near the village of Shevchenko, which Russian forces captured in June 2025.
According to the Ukrainian Geological Survey, the Shevchenkivske deposit covers nearly 40 hectares (98 acres) on the eastern outskirts of Shevchenko. Exact data on the Shevchenkivske deposit's lithium reserves are classified, but it's considered one of the most promising.
The deposit's main reserves consist of lithium ores, but it also contains other rare elements such as rubidium, cesium, tantalum, niobium, beryllium, and tin.
Ukraine is home to 20 of the world's critical minerals and metals like titanium used in the aerospace and defense industries and lithium, an essential component of electric vehicle batteries.
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