Ukraine has launched a fresh wave of long-range drone strikes deep into Russian territory, targeting strategic infrastructure and naval assets as part of an escalating campaign aimed at weakening Moscow’s war-fighting capacity. Among the most significant incidents was an attack on the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk, a key oil export terminal, where a fire broke out following the strike.
According to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian forces successfully hit multiple high-value targets during the operation, including a Karakurt-class missile ship, a patrol vessel, and an oil tanker docked at the port. Writing on Telegram, Zelensky said the strikes had caused “significant damage” to the port’s infrastructure, adding that “each such result further limits Russia’s war potential”.
Primorsk, located in Russia’s north-western Leningrad region, plays a crucial role in the country’s energy exports, particularly crude oil shipments via the Baltic Sea. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kyiv has increasingly focused on disrupting Russia’s energy logistics and military supply chains, viewing such operations as a means of undermining both economic resilience and frontline capabilities.
Regional authorities in Russia sought to downplay the impact of the attack. The Governor of Leningrad Oblast, Alexander Drozdenko, said more than 60 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight, and stated that the fire at the port had been swiftly contained without causing an oil spill.
The development comes amid a broader pattern of intensified Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, particularly targeting oil depots, refineries and naval assets. Analysts suggest that such operations are intended not only to degrade Russia’s military logistics but also to signal Kyiv’s ability to sustain pressure despite ongoing challenges on the front lines.