Ukraine Launches Major Drone Attack on Russian Oil Terminal

Wed Oct 22 2025 16:55:33 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A significant drone strike by Ukraine targets the Primorsk oil port in Leningrad region, marking one of the largest aerial assaults in recent months. The attacks underscore the ongoing conflict's escalation and the implications for Russian oil exports.

In a massive overnight drone attack, Ukraine targeted Russia's Primorsk oil terminal, a critical hub for international maritime exports. Over half of the drones sent were intercepted, but significant damage occurred at the oil port, signaling an escalation in aerial assaults amid ongoing tensions in the region. The attack follows a series of cross-border strikes which have increasingly targeted Russia's energy infrastructure.

Ukraine has struck Russia's largest oil terminal on the Baltic Sea during one of its biggest overnight drone attacks in months.

The aerial assault targeted the Primorsk oil port in the Leningrad region, the final station of the Baltic Pipeline System and a crucial hub for Russia's maritime exports, Ukraine's security services disclosed.

More than half of the 221 drones sent to Russian territory were intercepted over the Bryansk and Smolensk regions, where Lukoil facilities were also reportedly targeted, as stated by the Russian defense ministry.

Meanwhile, officials reported that two civilians were killed in Ukraine's Sumy region when a Russian glide bomb struck a village near the border.

Authorities in the Leningrad region indicated that 28 drones were brought down, resulting in a fire at a vessel and a pumping station in Primorsk, which was extinguished without any casualties or leaks.

The Primorsk port is also central to Russia's shadowy fleet of aging tankers that are used to bypass international sanctions.

Ukrainian security services stated that drone strikes also affected several pumping stations supplying the Ust-Luga terminal, close to the border with Estonia.

Reports indicated a drone attack on a power unit at the Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant, highlighting the breadth of the aerial assault.

Russian officials claimed drones were intercepted across at least nine regions, including Kaluga, Novgorod, and the Moscow area, with debris found across several locations, but they insisted that there had been no casualties.

In Bryansk, a drone strike hit a bus, injuring seven individuals, including five civilians and two military personnel, as reported by Governor Alexander Bogomaz. Operations at St Petersburg's Pulkovo airport were temporarily halted during the attacks.

This unprecedented strike has been described as one of the largest Ukrainian aerial bombardments in over four months, emphasizing the changing dynamics of the ongoing conflict.

Ukraine's escalating drone attacks reflect its strategy to target deeper into Russian territory, aiming at refineries, fuel depots, and logistical hubs to undermine Russia’s energy supply chain and increase operational costs.

Authorities also noted issues with Russian petrol supplies nearing critical levels, including reports of rationing and long queues in some regions due to the impact of these strikes coupled with ongoing Western sanctions.

Responding to these developments, Russia has intensified missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy facilities, signaling a significant rise in conflict as diplomatic negotiations appear stalled.