Ukraine’s long-range drone war on Russia’s energy infrastructure escalated dramatically late last week, with strikes on the Baltic oil hub of Primorsk damaging tankers, halting terminal operations, and sparking fires visible for miles.
Two Sierra Leone-flagged aframax tankers – Kusto and Cai Yun – were hit in the September 12 raid, with one vessel briefly engulfed in flames at berth. Both ships are subject to sanctions. The port’s loading terminal also sustained damage, forcing a suspension of crude operations.
Eleven merchant vessels were alongside at the time of the attack. Social media footage reviewed by maritime security specialist Ambrey showed towering plumes of smoke above the port area.
Russian state outlets claimed defence forces downed more than 200 UAVs across the country overnight, including at least 30 over the Leningrad region. The governor of Leningrad, Alexander Drozdenko, later confirmed “a vessel and a pumping station” had ignited, though he insisted there was no risk of oil spillage.
The strike is unprecedented: it marks the first time Ukraine has inflicted direct collateral damage on ships in Russia’s Baltic ports, threatening flows that last month averaged 1.5m barrels a day from Primorsk alone. Together with nearby Ust-Luga, the two hubs have become the principal gateways for Russian crude and products to China and India since European sanctions came into force.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the attack in his evening address on Saturday.
“The most effective sanctions – the ones that act the fastest – are fires at Russian oil refineries, its terminals, oil storage facilities. We have significantly limited the Russian oil industry, and that significantly limits the war. Russia’s war is essentially a function of oil, gas, all other energy resources,” Zelensky said.
The September 12 barrage also struck pumping stations feeding Ust-Luga, and separate refineries at Ufa, Smolensk and Kirishi. Bloomberg estimated the combined damage may have sidelined up to 250,000 barrels a day of refining capacity, equal to around 5% of Russia’s throughput. Kyiv claims Russia’s daily export losses could now reach $41m.
Zelensky urged allies to keep pressure on Moscow’s energy exports: “The most effective sanctions are Ukrainian sanctions. Drone attacks on Russian energy installations are sanctions that work immediately,” he said.
