Video: Ukrainian Strike Causes Major Fire at Russian Oil Port of Ust-Luga

Russian officials have confirmed a major drone strike on the Baltic oil port of Ust-Luga, west of St. Petersburg. It has been hit many times by Ukrainian forces in the past, and the attack overnight Tuesday appears to have caused a large-scale fire at the facility - so large that it was visible from neighboring Estonia.

The St. Petersburg region's governor, Aleksandr Drozdenko, confirmed the attack in a statement on Russian social media. Three workers were injured in the attack, Drozdenko said, and he claimed that 150 drones had been shot down. The regional airport was also temporarily shuttered as a safety precaution.

Multiple Ukrainian attack drones hit Russia's sprawling oil export terminal at the Baltic port of Ust-Luga tonight, setting it ablaze. NASA's FIRMS detected a massive fire during its last overhead pass, with Russian authorities confirming the strike. https://t.co/hJMgrPAHQq

Ust-Luga is a key export facility for Russia, handling about 700,000 barrels per day of petroleum. Together with the nearby Primorsk terminal, it handles the majority of Russian Baltic oil exports. Russia's grain exporters have also begun to use the Baltic port as a backup option after Ukraine’s repeated attacks on Russian grain shipping in the Black Sea.

This story was originally published by The Maritime Executive. Read the full story at The Maritime Executive →