Ukraine Strikes Russian Oil Port and Tankers, Escalating Tensions
Ukraine has launched a series of strikes targeting Russian oil infrastructure, including a key oil-loading port on the Baltic Sea and two tankers allegedly used to transport Russian crude. The nighttime drone attack ignited a fire at the port of Primorsk, Russia's largest oil exporting facility on the Baltic Sea, as reported by Russian regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko. The port, operated by Transneft, Russia's state oil company, is a significant hub capable of handling hundreds of thousands of barrels daily. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strikes, stating that Ukrainian forces destroyed several military and oil infrastructure targets, including a Karakurt missile ship and a patrol boat. The strikes are part of Ukraine's intensified efforts to disrupt Russian oil exports, which Kyiv argues fund Moscow's military operations in Ukraine.