Ukraine Strikes Russia’s Ust-Luga Oil Terminal as Attacks Intensify
Ukraine Strikes Russia’s Ust-Luga Oil Terminal as Attacks Intensify
Ukraine and Russia are again intensifying their attacks. Reports indicate Ukraine launched one of its largest attacks of the war, targeting areas across Russia, including hitting the Ust-Luga oil terminal, while Russia retaliated with widespread attacks.
The regional governor for the area along the Baltic that includes Ust-Luga posted that there was a large and prolonged attack underway. He said 52 drones were shot down in the Leningrad region over the span of four hours on Tuesday, September 1.
Governor Alexander Drozdenko posted online that there was damage in the Ust-Luga port area and a fire. Emergency services were working to control the fire, and he later posted that the fire caused by a drone attack had been extinguished.
There were claims that at least 17 drones were intercepted during the attack on Ust-Luga. It is Russia’s largest oil terminal on the Baltic and the second largest in Russia behind Novorossysk on the Black Sea, which has also been a target of Ukraine’s attacks. Over the past few months, Ukraine has increased its targeting of the export infrastructure and oil industry. The last strike on Ust-Luga was reported on August 14.
Other strikes also hit the oil industry infrastructure, including the Novokuibyshevsk Oil Refinery. It was said to be one of the largest Ukrainian attacks, with Russia claiming to have destroyed 516 Ukrainian drones overnight in 18 regions of Russia.
Ust-Luga is a key export facility for Russia, with Reuters reporting it handles around 700,000 barrels per day. Grain traders are also reported to have increased shipments to the Baltic port after Ukraine’s repeated attacks on the Black Sea grain export infrastructure.
Today’s attacks were so significant that it drew defense responses in both Estonia and Romania. Estonia’s Foreign Minister, Margus Tsahkna, posted online that they had scrambled NATO fighter jets after several drones entered Estonia’s airspace.
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Russia’s attack was reported to be equally as significant, with the brunt of it aimed at the Odesa and Kyiv regions. Port infrastructure in the Odesa region was struck while Ukraine said it had intercepted or suppressed 199 aerial targets. The Russian attack included ballistic, cruise, and Banderol missiles as well as 187 drones.
In addition to the port infrastructure, Ukraine said Russia had targeted its border crossings with Romania. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called it a “deliberate” effort to damage the border crossing point and the export infrastructure. Ukraine has also been forced to divert its grain and other exports away from its Black Sea ports due to repeated Russian attacks. The Danube ports and the border crossing, including the rail lines to the west and Romania, have taken on a greater role in Ukraine’s exports.
