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Russia’s strategic Ust-Luga port targeted by drones for second time in a year

January 5, 2025

By Ukraine

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Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, has detailed the strategic significance of Russia’s Ust-Luga port, targeted yesterday by drones, Defense Express reports.

This is not the first attack on the port, situated 500 km north of Ukraine. In January 2024, Ukrainian drones also targeted Ust-Luga, causing a fire at the oil facility. This Baltic Sea port began operations in December 2001 with a coal terminal and has grown to become Russia’s second-largest port after Novorossiysk on the Black Sea.

According to Kovalenko, following international sanctions, Ust-Luga, the largest maritime commercial facility in Leningrad Oblast, has become crucial for Russian oil, gas, coal, and other strategic resource exports, enabling Moscow to fund its military operations despite economic restrictions.

The security official explained that the port’s Baltic Sea location allows Russia to maintain significant naval presence while facilitating military-essential goods transportation. As Russia lost access to European ports due to sanctions, Ust-Luga has become a vital transshipment point for Asian trade, particularly with China and India.

Kovalenko emphasized that the facility serves as a political instrument in Russia’s confrontations with Baltic States, Poland, and other regional players through its control of critical maritime transport and supply lines. The official stressed that Ust-Luga is not merely part of Russia’s economic strategy but a tool for its economic and military survival amid isolation.

The Ust-Luga attack

On 4 January, drones targeted the Ust-Luga seaport in Russia’s Leningrad Oblast, according to the Russian Telegram channel Astra. Most of the drones were reportedly intercepted near the terminal of Novatrans LLC on the seaport’s premises. Sources indicated preliminary damage to windows in one building within the port area. The local governor claimed that four drones were shot down and claimed there were no injuries or significant damage.

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