Drone attack sparks fire at Russia's Ust-Luga port, no casualties

September 1, 2026 at 12:18 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Ust-Luga port in the Leningrad region caused damage and a fire early on September 1. Governor Alexander Drozdenko said the fire was extinguished by 07:28 Astana time and there were no casualties. The port is a key outlet for Russian oil and fuel exports.

Key Facts

Ust-Luga port loads around 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, according to Inbusiness.kz.
Russia shot down 52 drones during the overnight attack, Governor Drozdenko said.
Exports of oil products through Ust-Luga exceeded 32.8 million tonnes in 2025, Inbusiness.kz reported.
The port also handles naphtha, fuel oil, and vacuum gasoil, and hosts a refinery operated by Novatek.

Attack and Fire

The Ust-Luga port zone in Leningrad region was hit by drones on the morning of September 1, Governor Alexander Drozdenko said on Telegram. The attack caused damage and a fire at the port, Drozdenko reported, without specifying which facilities were affected. By 07:28 Astana time, the fire had been extinguished and there were no casualties, the governor said. Russia shot down 52 drones during the overnight attack, and regional authorities are assessing damages, Drozdenko added.

Port Significance

Ust-Luga is the top Russian port for exports of oil and other commodities from the Baltic Sea, loading crude oil, fuels, coal, fertilizers, and grain. The port ships about 700,000 barrels of oil per day, and also handles naphtha, fuel oil, and vacuum gasoil, according to Inbusiness.kz. Oil product exports through Ust-Luga exceeded 32.8 million tonnes in 2025, the outlet reported. The site also hosts a refinery operated by Novatek.

Repeated Targeting

Ust-Luga has been targeted multiple times by Ukraine, which has intensified its campaign against Russian refineries and energy export infrastructure. Facilities at Ust-Luga were on fire less than three weeks ago when the port was damaged by Ukrainian drones, OilPrice reported. Some previous attacks at Ust-Luga have halted shipments and loadings of commodities at the export port. There is currently no data on whether the latest attack affected oil or oil product loadings, Inbusiness.kz said.