Ukrainian drones damage Russia’s Ust-Luga port, governor says
on Google
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
A Ukrainian drone attack damaged the Russian Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga in Leningrad Oblast early on Sept. 1, regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko said.
Ust-Luga is one of Russia's largest and most important ports on the Baltic Sea and home to an oil terminal that serves as a major hub for the export of crude oil and petroleum products. Located west of St. Petersburg, far from Ukraine's border, the port plays an important role in generating revenue for the state budget.
Russian air defense reported downing dozens of drones over the region in the hours between Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, with 17 drones intercepted during the ongoing attack in the Ust-Luga port area. By 6 a.m. local time, Drozdenko said 38 drones had been destroyed over Leningrad Oblast and confirmed damage at the port.
Footage circulating on Telegram appeared to show a fire at the port. The extent of the damage caused was not immediately clear.
The Kyiv Independent cannot verify the claims made by Russian officials.
As Kyiv steps up its attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, the Ust-Luga port has repeatedly served as a target of attacks in recent months. The Ukrainian military carried out a series of deep strikes against the Ust-Luga port in March and April of this year.
The most recent reported attack on the facility occurred on Aug. 14, damaging two processing plants and sparking a fire, the General Staff confirmed.
Ukraine has been aging an increasingly successful deep strike campaign against Russian oil infrastructure, striking oil depots, disrupting production at major facilities, and in some cases halting operations indefinitely.
Ukraine's oil infrastructure attacks have mounted pressure on the Kremlin by aggravating a domestic fuel supply crisis that has already caused export bans, price hikes, and sales restrictions across Russia.
