MOSCOW, March 31 (Reuters) – Ukrainian drones on Tuesday struck Russia’s Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga for the fifth time in 10 days, and industry sources told Reuters an oil loading terminal was hit, likely adding to Russia’s difficulties in exporting crude.
Kyiv has stepped up attacks on Russia’s oil export infrastructure over the past month, launching its heaviest drone strikes of the more than four-year war against the Baltic ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk.
At least 40% of Russia’s oil export capacity has been halted due to drone attacks, a disputed strike on a major pipeline and the seizure of tankers, according to Reuters calculations based on market data.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that some of Kyiv’s allies had sent “signals” about the possibility of scaling back its long-range strikes on Russia’s oil sector as global energy prices have surged due to the Iran war.
TRANSNEFT OIL TERMINAL HIT
Regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said three people, including two children, were treated for injuries and several buildings were damaged in the overnight attacks.
In a message on Telegram at 0409 GMT, he said air-raid alerts in the region had been lifted but gave no details on damage to the port.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the strikes “terrorist attacks,” adding that Russia was working on protecting its critical infrastructure.
“This doesn’t mean these facilities can be 100% protected from such terrorist attacks. However, intensive work is being carried out, and this applies not only to the port … but to all other critical infrastructure facilities,” he told a daily conference call with reporters.
Three industry sources told Reuters Ukrainian drones struck crude oil loading facilities operated by Russian pipeline monopoly Transneft in the latest attack. Transneft did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Ust-Luga, on the south-eastern shore of the Gulf of Finland, is a sprawling complex of oil-processing facilities and export terminals handling crude oil and oil products.
According to source-based data, the port exported 32.9 million metric tons of oil products last year. It typically handles about 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
Authorities say Ust-Luga was hit on March 22, 25, 27, 29 and 31, forcing suspensions of export operations.
(Reporting by Reuters. Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Mark Potter)
