Russian Oil Exports Disrupted by Ukrainian Drone Attacks, Forcing Alternative Routes
Russia's Baltic oil export hubs at Ust-Luga and Primorsk have been incapacitated due to a series of Ukrainian drone attacks, according to industry sources. These attacks, which have damaged port infrastructure, have persisted through the last two weeks of March, with at least five strikes on Ust-Luga within ten days. As a result, Russian refineries are compelled to seek alternative, more costly export routes, such as rail transport, to other terminals. The disruption has left refineries in European Russia and Siberia without their primary export route, potentially leading to a decrease in oil production. This situation arises amidst a broader context of military conflict, where the Russian army has recorded minimal territorial gains in Ukraine for the first time in over two years. 
