Ukrainian drone attacks have intensified on key Russian ports and refineries in the Leningrad region and beyond, disrupting oil exports.
Baltic Export Disrupted
This marks the most intense Ukrainian attack on the Leningrad region since the start of the war, focusing on ports and infrastructure crucial for Russian raw material exports. Approximately half of Russia’s seaborne oil exports flowed through these ports in 2025, but they are now closed.
The port of Ust-Luga, near the Estonian border, suffered the most significant damage, attacked on March 25th shortly after Russia announced resumed operations following a previous Ukrainian strike. Footage shows a large fire raging in the port’s central area, near oil and fuel storage tanks, with two tankers potentially undergoing loading at the time.
Primorsk and Novorossiysk Hit
The port of Primorsk, located across the Gulf of Finland, was attacked earlier on March 23rd. It is Russia’s largest oil export port and a key terminus for Russian pipelines. Ukrainian drones struck large tanks at the docks, causing significant explosions and large plumes of smoke.
While authorities claimed to have “contained” the fire by March 25th, the Finnish Coast Guard reported fires in Primorsk were “practically the same as at the beginning” and “very large.”
Export Capacity Reduced
Following the recent attacks, Russia has reportedly lost around 40% of its oil export capacity, encompassing the Baltic terminals, the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk (attacked March 2nd), and a section of the Druzhba pipeline supplying Slovakia and Hungary.
Kiriski Refinery Targeted
On March 28th, Ukrainian forces attacked the Kirishi refinery in the Leningrad region, Russia’s second-largest and the largest in the northwest. NASA FIRMS satellites detected two large heat sources at the refinery, with footage showing a significant fire. The extent of the damage remains unknown.
Intensified Drone Warfare
The exact damage to the infrastructure is unknown, but its repair will be a Kremlin priority due to its importance for oil export revenue, vital for a budget strained by war expenses and sanctions. This comes amid rising oil prices due to conflicts involving the US, Israel, and Iran.
The attacks align with a campaign targeting Russia’s revenue from raw materials, as indicated by a post from “Ptaki Mazura” (Birds of Azov), linked to the head of Ukraine’s Drone Forces, Major Robert Brodowski.
Increased Attack Frequency and Baltic Airspace Intrusions
These are the largest attacks on the Leningrad region since the start of the war, involving dozens of Ukrainian drones nightly. A shipyard in Viborg was also hit, damaging the patrol icebreaker “Purga” belonging to the FSB’s maritime division. The vessel was significantly tilted and resting against another ship.
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have reported Ukrainian drones entering their airspace. Lithuania reported a drone crash on its territory, while Latvia and Estonia reported crashes near Narva, Estonia, causing minor damage to a power plant chimney. Baltic states speculate Russian electronic warfare systems may be deflecting the drones.
Drone Warfare Escalation
The scale of Ukrainian attacks suggests such incidents are increasingly likely. Ukraine is currently launching more drones into Russia than Russia is into Ukraine, according to official defense ministry data compiled by “Radio Svoboda.” While Russia launched nearly 1000 drones in a single attack on March 24-25, Ukraine has averaged around 300 drones daily since March 15th, totaling 3207 compared to Russia’s 2605.
However, Russia still maintains a significant advantage in ballistic and cruise missiles.