Drones Strike Russia’s Massive Ust-Luga Oil Port for Fourth Time in a Week

Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s massive Ust-Luga Baltic oil port for the fourth time in a week on the night of March 31, The Moscow Times reported on March 31, 2026.

Local governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed that 38 UAVs were reportedly intercepted over the Leningrad region, though he admitted the port infrastructure sustained damage. While specific details of the destruction were not released, the repeated nature of the strikes—hitting on March 25, 27, 29, and now 31—has forced intermittent operational halts at the facility.

Ust-Luga is a critical artery for the Kremlin, processing roughly 700,000 barrels of oil, naphtha, and jet fuel daily for global export markets.

The concentration of attacks on Ust-Luga and nearby Primorsk is a strategic attempt by Kyiv to paralyze the hubs responsible for a combined 40% of Russia’s total oil exports. This coincides with a sharp rise in global energy prices triggered by the widening war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, The Moscow Times wrote.

Industry data suggests these strikes are designed to prevent Moscow from capitalizing on the current crisis, which saw Russian oil revenues hit a record $2.5 billion in a single week recently as Urals crude topped $120 per barrel in Indian markets.

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War in Ukraine

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Addressing international concerns, Ukrainain President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that some partners have requested a reduction in strikes on the Russian oil sector to stabilize global energy prices. However, Zelenskyy offered a conditional de-escalation, stating that Kyiv would only scale back if Moscow ceases its own campaign against Ukrainian infrastructure.

He reiterated that Ukraine is willing to resolve the issue as soon as Russia is ready to stop its hits on the Ukrainian power grid.

According to reports from the week prior, Ukrainian forces utilized domestically produced FP-1 long-range drones to target critical hubs like the Ust-Luga and Primorsk terminals, which together handle 1.7 million barrels per day. These operations were strategically launched as Moscow was capitalizing on the Iran war to reap record revenues of nearly $24 billion in a single month.

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