One of Russia’s two biggest oil producers Lukoil has stopped production on a platform on the Vladimir Filanovsky field after a strike by four Ukrainian aerial drones.
According to media reports quoting the Ukrainian Security Service, this was the first time a drone struck a Russian oil platform in the Caspian.
The V. Filanovsky field, discovered in 2005, is the largest oil field in the Russian sector of the Caspian Sea and produces about 120,000 barrels per day.
Independent Russian news outlet Astra, citing an anonymous Russian Emergency Situations Ministry source, claimed that the attack occurred on the evening of December 8.
The media outlet said that the attack hit the LSP-1 fixed platform at the V. Filanovsky. The platform is used for drilling, well operation, and production at the field. The drone strikes stopped oil production from more than 20 oil and gas wells.
The one unknown is the location from where the attack was launched, since the Caspian Sea is more than 700 km from Ukraine’s nearest border.
This attack is another part of Ukraine’s campaign to disrupt Russian oil and gas output. Splash reported just yesterday that Ukraine struck the suezmax Dashan in the Black Sea using naval drones.
The 2005-built, 165,000 dwt suezmax formerly linked to the Gatik Ship Management network and sanctioned by the EU, UK, Canada, Australia, and Switzerland for suspicious Russian oil trades. The vessel was flying a false flag while underway towards Novorossiysk when hit.
