Putin vows retaliation after Ukrainian drone strike hits major Russian oil terminal
Ukraine's drone attack on the Ust-Luga fuel terminal prompted President Vladimir Putin to promise large-scale strikes on Ukrainian energy sites, as Russia grapples with fuel shortages.
Ukraine launched a swarm of long-range drones on Tuesday that set fire to the Ust-Luga fuel terminal on the Baltic Sea, a facility capable of processing 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The attack follows a series of strikes on Russian energy infrastructure that have intensified over the past year.
President Vladimir Putin told reporters he had ordered the military to prepare large-scale strikes against Ukrainian energy facilities, saying the attacks had "battered" Russian people and would be met with a response. He also claimed that Russia had repaired 90 percent of the refineries damaged by previous Ukrainian attacks.
Russia’s oil sector, which provides about 30 percent of the state budget, has been strained by the attacks. Wholesale fuel prices have risen, rationing has been introduced in several regions, and long queues at Moscow gas stations have been reported. The Ust-Luga terminal is the country's second-largest shipping hub after Novorossiysk, which has also been targeted.
Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed damage and fire at the Ust-Luga port area. Former Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovsky warned that the sustained drone campaign could push Russia’s oil industry toward a breaking point, contradicting Putin’s assessment of repair progress.