Ukraine Strikes Russian Oil Port and Tankers, Escalating Tensions Over Energy Exports
Ukraine has launched a series of strikes targeting Russia's oil export infrastructure, including a key loading port on the Baltic Sea and two tankers. The nighttime drone attack ignited a fire at the Primorsk port, Russia's largest oil exporting facility on the Baltic, which is operated by the state oil company Transneft. The port, located over 1,000 kilometers from Ukraine, was previously targeted in March. Russian regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed the attack but reported no oil spill or immediate casualties. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces also targeted two Russian tankers near the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, accusing them of being part of Russia's 'shadow oil fleet' used to bypass Western sanctions. Moscow has not acknowledged these claims. This escalation comes as Ukraine intensifies its efforts to disrupt Russian oil revenues, which it argues fund Moscow's ongoing military operations in Ukraine.