On the night of January 21, drones attacked the seaport of Ust-Luga in northwestern Russia, where the premises of the Ust-Luga Oil terminal for fuel processing, including for the Russian military, is located.
Novatek, Russia’s largest independent natural gas producer, owns the oil terminal. Witnesses reported that two drones targeted the facility with a short time interval between the attacks. An explosion occurred in plain view of the production workers, but no injuries were reported.
“Several eyewitnesses noticed UAVs of airplane type with a strong characteristic noise. The company confirmed that the fire started due to external influence,” reported Russian Telegram channels.
The Russian Novatek plant, located on the coast of the Baltic Sea in Ust-Luga, Leningrad Oblast, has suspended operations following an attack by Ukrainian drones, according to Bloomberg, citing a statement from Novatek. The industrial process has been halted, and Russians have set up a headquarters to deal with the fire’s consequences and assess the damages.
The plant processes stable gas condensate, a byproduct of natural gas and oil extraction, and exports petroleum products to external markets. In 2022, the company processed nearly 7 million tons of gas condensate, as reported by Bloomberg. The production facility is located near a specialized terminal for storing the products.
“The Ust-Luga Oil terminal is a crucial target for the Russians. A successful attack on such a terminal not only inflicts economic losses on the enemy, depriving the occupiers of the ability to earn funds for waging war in Ukraine but also significantly complicates the logistics of fuel for the Russian military,” writes NV.
According to sources in the special services, the drone attack was a special operation conducted by Ukraine’s Security Service, as reported to Ukrainska Pravda.
Additionally, on the night of January 21, Russian media and residents reported a powerful explosion and fire in the Proletarsky District of Tula. The Shcheglovsky Val defense industry company is located there, producing, among other things, the “Pantsir” missile system. Ukrainian special services also reportedly targeted Russian military facilities in Smolensk and Oryol.
Cover: Telegram Channel of Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko/AP Photo
