Russia temporarily suspended oil exports from the Primorsk and Ust-Luga ports following drone attacks. Several fuel storage tanks caught fire at Primorsk, which remains closed, while Ust-Luga has partially resumed operations after authorities lifted warnings about new attacks.
Reuters and the Russian Telegram channel ASTRA reported the incidents.
Details
The drone attacks on March 22–23 temporarily halted shipments of crude oil and petroleum products. Primorsk, a key Russian export hub, suffered fires in multiple fuel tanks. The port can handle more than 1 million barrels of oil per day.
Ust-Luga, which handles around 700,000 barrels per day, sustained lighter damage and partially resumed operations once the threat of new attacks subsided.
The state-controlled company Transneft, which operates the ports, has not commented. In 2025, Ust-Luga exported 32.9 million tons of petroleum products, while Primorsk exported 16.8 million tons.
Context
In February, Russia’s oil export revenues fell to their lowest level since the start of the war in Ukraine.
On March 13, the U.S. temporarily eased restrictions on Russian oil, allowing purchases of shipments loaded before March 12. This measure provides Russia with additional funds for its military operations.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that Russia earns up to $150 million per day from oil sales, fueled by rising global energy prices amid the Middle East conflict.
