Huge fires at Russian oil facilities following Ukraine strikes, satellite images show

BBC:

Satellite imagery and verified videos show Ukraine has repeatedly struck key Russian oil export infrastructure near the Baltic Sea in the past week, leaving some facilities burning for several days.

BBC Verify has confirmed at least three oil sites in Russia’s Leningrad region were attacked near the city of St Petersburg, about 500 miles (800km) north of the Ukrainian border, since 23 March.

This includes several separate strikes on the key Baltic Sea ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk as well as an attack on the nearby inland Kirishi oil refinery.

According to analysis by the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea) 22% of Russia’s total oil exports in 2025 departed from Primorsk and 20% from Ust-Luga.

Recent data shows no ships were loaded with oil in any of Russia’s three Baltic ports on 26 and 27 March, which Crea said is the first period of two consecutive days with no such activity since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Satellite images show enormous plumes of smoke rising from burning oil facilities in Primorsk on 24 March, as well as fires at Ust-Luga and extensive damage to Kirishi on 27 March.