Satellite images show aftermath of new strikes on Primorsk oil terminal
Photo: oil storage facility in Ust-Luga, Russia (Getty Images)
Large-scale fires continue at oil terminals in the Russian ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga (Leningrad region). After new Ukrainian strikes on March 29, storage tanks that had not been affected before were set ablaze, according to Radio Liberty.
What satellite images show
Satellite images from Planet Labs taken on March 30 show the aftermath of strikes on two key oil facilities in the Leningrad region.
In Ust-Luga, following the March 29 attack, storage tanks at the Novatek Ust-Luga plant that had not been previously damaged caught fire. The blaze at the terminal is ongoing.
Photo: fire at the plant in Ust-Luga (Planet Labs, Schemes)
In Primorsk, at least 8 out of 18 storage tanks at the Transneft terminal were damaged. Some of them are still burning. The total value of the oil stored in the affected tanks may have reached around $160 million.
Photo: smoke from the fire at the terminal in Primorsk (Planet Labs, Schemes)
Strikes on oil infrastructure
On the night of March 29, Ukraine’s Defense Forces carried out new strikes on oil terminals in the Leningrad region. This was a continuation of a series of attacks that began on March 23, when drones of the Security Service of Ukraine and other units struck these facilities.
Since then, fires in Primorsk and Ust-Luga have continued intermittently, periodically flaring up again after additional strikes.
Importance of the facilities for Russian exports
The port of Primorsk is Russia’s largest oil port on the Baltic Sea. A significant share of oil exports to foreign markets passes through it, including via the shadow fleet. The Novatek Ust-Luga terminal handles liquefied gas and petroleum products.
The first strike on the oil terminal in Primorsk took place on March 23. At that time, part of the storage tanks caught fire, and fuel shipments were temporarily halted. The fire lasted for several days, and on March 27, a new escalation was recorded after another attack.
Drone strikes forced Russia to temporarily suspend oil shipments through both ports — Primorsk and Ust-Luga. The infrastructure sustained significant damage, and fires broke out at the sites.
On the night of March 26, Ukrainian drones also struck the Kirishi oil refinery in the Leningrad region and hit the Valdai radar system in Crimea and an FSB combat icebreaker.
Following the drone attacks, Russia temporarily halted oil exports through the ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga. The strikes caused fires and disruptions to infrastructure operations.
