A large-scale Ukrainian drone assault targeted northwestern Russia early Tuesday, igniting a fire at the Ust-Luga oil export terminal on the Baltic Sea.
Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko reported that air defense units intercepted 52 drones during a four-hour engagement over the region, with the port fire extinguished by mid-morning. Ust-Luga, Russia’s second-largest shipping terminal handling 700,000 barrels of crude daily, previously experienced a drone strike in August. Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that a total of 516 drones were intercepted across the country and annexed Crimea overnight, while separate Russian strikes killed at least 12 people in Kyiv and its surrounding region.
During the engagement, Ukrainian drones knocked off course by electronic warfare systems crossed into Estonian airspace, which is located approximately 24 kilometers from Ust-Luga. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur confirmed that NATO aircraft monitored the situation and noted that neither people nor Estonian territory were affected. Pevkur emphasized that the breach highlights the urgent need to increase air defense support for Ukraine and strengthen European defense capabilities against hybrid actions. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna previously stated that such airspace incursions are an acceptable price to pay for the destruction of Russian oil refineries and military bases.
