Russia’s Ust- Luga port hit by drone attack

A drone attack sparked a fire at Russia’s Ust-Luga, a key Baltic port for oil exports, the regional governor said on Wednesday.”

A UAV attack hit the port area of Ust-Luga, causing a fire,” Leningrad regional Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko posted on Telegram, referring to one of Russia’s most important western oil hubs that has been repeatedly attacked by Ukraine. Teams were working to extinguish the fire, he added.

Fighting has continued while the warring sides are meeting in the Emirati capital this week for US-mediated talks aimed at progressing towards the end of Europe’s worst conflict since World War II.

Russian air defences downed 146 drones during “continuing” combat operations in Leningrad overnight, Drozdenko said in a separate post. Around 18 flights were cancelled or delayed at the region’s main Pulkovo Airport near Saint Petersburg, according to state news agency TASS.

Ukraine has intensified its drone attacks on Russia’s energy industry over the past 18 months, seeking to cut the Kremlin’s revenues and undermine its ability to finance the war.

Ukraine says Russia is targeting its own energy grid with aerial barrages, leaving residents across the country without power as temperatures plunge ahead of winter