Ukraine Strikes Primorsk Oil Terminal, Damages Tankers And Naval Ships In Drone Attack

Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack across Russia on Sunday, striking the Baltic Sea oil export hub at Primorsk port and hitting multiple vessels, including oil tankers and naval ships.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strikes caused significant damage to infrastructure at the oil terminal, one of Russia’s key export points.

He added that an oil tanker, a Karakurt-class missile ship, and a patrol boat in the Baltic Sea were also hit during the operation. According to him, such strikes reduce Russia’s military capability.

Authorities in Russia said air defence systems intercepted more than 60 drones overnight. Alexander Drozdenko said a fire broke out at the port but was quickly brought under control, and no oil spill was reported.

Primorsk is one of Russia’s main oil export terminals with a capacity of about 1 million barrels per day. It has been targeted several times in recent months as efforts to end the war have slowed.

Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian forces struck two tankers linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet” near the entrance to the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk port.

He said these vessels had been used to transport oil and would no longer operate in the same way. He added that Ukraine will continue to develop long-range strike capabilities across sea, air and land.

Russian officials said the attacks could affect global oil markets. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that if Russian oil supplies fall, global prices could rise further from already high levels. He said this could still bring higher revenue to Russia despite lower export volumes.

Reports from different regions in Russia confirmed casualties and damage. In the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov said a drone hit a car, killing a 21-year-old man and his father.

In the Smolensk region, Vasily Anokhin said three people, including a child, were injured after a drone struck a residential building.

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said four drones heading towards the capital were shot down. Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobyov said a 77-year-old man was killed in a separate strike.

Russia’s defence authorities said Ukraine launched at least 334 drones, with the Leningrad region among the main targets.

Oil terminals in this region and elsewhere have been hit in recent weeks, affecting export operations.

At the same time, Ukrainian officials reported continued Russian strikes across Ukraine. Authorities said at least 10 people were killed and 76 injured over the past day.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 269 drones overnight, most of which were intercepted.

It confirmed 19 direct drone hits and one ballistic missile strike across multiple locations, along with damage caused by falling debris.

Ukrainian officials reported deaths in several regions. Three people were killed in the Kherson region, two each in Odesa, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, and one in Sumy region.

Fighting also continued on the front line, with Russian forces moving closer to Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region.

Ukraine has increased long-range drone operations targeting Russian energy infrastructure, ports, and vessels.

Kyiv maintains that these strikes are aimed at military and logistical assets, while Russia accuses Ukraine of targeting civilian areas.

References: Reuters, BBC