Ukraine has struck Russia's largest oil terminal on the Baltic Sea during one of its biggest overnight drone attacks in months. The aerial assault targeted the Primorsk oil port in the Leningrad region, the final station of the Baltic Pipeline System and a crucial hub for Russia's maritime exports, according to Ukraine's security services.
More than half of the 221 drones sent over Russian territory were intercepted in the Bryansk and Smolensk regions, where Lukoil facilities were also reportedly targeted, according to the Russian defense ministry.
In the meantime, two civilians were reported killed in Ukraine's Sumy region due to a Russian glide bomb striking a nearby village. The Leningrad region authorities confirmed that 28 drones were brought down, leading to a fire incident at a vessel and a pumping station in Primorsk, though it was quickly extinguished without casualties or leaks.
The Primorsk port is vital for Russia's so-called shadow fleet of aging tankers used to evade international sanctions. Authorities reported that drone strikes also hit several pumping stations supplying the Ust-Luga terminal near the Estonia border.
Russian state energy firm Rosatom indicated that its Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant experienced a drone attack on a power unit. Reports also suggest drone interceptions occurred across at least nine regions, including Kaluga and Novgorod, with claims of debris but no verified casualties.
Further complications arose in Bryansk, where a drone hit a bus, injuring seven individuals, including five civilians and two military personnel, leading to temporary suspensions of operations at St Petersburg's Pulkovo airport.
This attack is said to be one of the largest Ukrainian aerial bombardments in over four months, with reported Moscow claims of destroying a record 524 drones back in May. However, Ukrainian officials assert Russia has deployed 818 drones against its territory in recent weeks.
Significantly, the strikes come just as Russia and Belarus are set to begin a major military exercise, further complicating the geopolitical landscape. Meanwhile, the effects of Ukrainian drone strikes, which have increasingly hit deep into Russian territory, are being felt, with reports of petrol supplies being near critical in far eastern Russia.
As the conflict continues, both sides are ramping up their military operations, with Russia intensifying missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities as peace negotiations stall, indicating that this conflict shows no immediate signs of resolution.
