Ukrainian drones strike Russia's UstLuga port, sparking fire

Ukrainian drones struck Russia's UstLuga port overnight on August 14, sparking a fire at the major Baltic Sea energy hub in the latest attack on the country's oil export infrastructure. Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko reported that air defenses shot down 54 drones over the region, with damage recorded at the port facility. Firefighters responded to extinguish the blaze, and no injuries were reported.

The attack, which lasted approximately four hours and concluded at 6:48 a.m. Moscow time, targeted Russia's largest port on the Baltic Sea. UstLuga is a critical terminal for crude oil and refined petroleum products, including naphtha, fuel oil, and jet fuel. Industry data indicates the port handled nearly half of the Baltic basin's total cargo turnover as of January 2026. Together with the nearby Primorsk port, UstLuga accounts for roughly 40% of Russia's seaborne oil exports.

The strike marks at least the sixth attack on the UstLuga facility this year, underscoring a sustained Ukrainian campaign against Russian energy infrastructure. The port was hit repeatedly in late March, with strikes on March 25, 27, 29, and 31 damaging storage tanks and disrupting operations....