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Russian Oil Terminals Under Attack Unable to Accept Shipments for Second Week, Sources Say
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 3, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 3, 2026
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Ukraine’s sustained drone strikes have paralyzed operations at Russia’s major Baltic oil terminals—Ust‑Luga and Primorsk—for a second consecutive week, crushing export routes and forcing costly rerouting measures.
Russian Oil Shipments Halted for Second Week Following Ukrainian Drone Attacks
Impact of Ukrainian Drone Attacks on Russian Oil Exports
Disruption at Baltic Export Hubs
April 3 (Reuters) - Russia's Baltic oil export hubs at Ust-Luga and Primorsk remain unable to handle shipments after a series of Ukrainian drone attacks, prompting the country's refineries to find alternative routes for export, industry sources said on Friday.
The attacks have damaged port infrastructure and continued through the last two weeks of March, with at least five strikes on Ust-Luga in the space of 10 days.
Consequences for Oil Production
Sources said the export restrictions, along with disruptions at large refineries, could lead to a decrease in oil production in Russia.
Challenges in Export Logistics
Traders said refineries have been unable to deliver diesel fuel to Primorsk for export since March 22, leaving refineries in European Russia and Siberia without their most viable export route.
"Diesel fuel has not been accepted in Primorsk since Sunday (March 22)," said one industry source. "They have promised to resume accepting delivers to the system."
Alternative Export Routes Considered
Traders said refineries were having to consider more expensive rail transport routes to other export terminals.
Options for Fuel Oil Shipments
Refineries normally sending deliveries to Ust-Luga have for the past week and half considered sending their shipments of fuel oil to Vysotsk, further north on the Gulf of Finland or to Taman on the Black Sea coast.
But traders say Vysotsk has a smaller handling capacity and shipping to Taman would require ensuring larger numbers of rail cars.
Decrease in Shipping Activity
Finnish maritime officials told Reuters this week that shipments from Primorsk and Ust-Luga were sharply down to "individual vessels" instead of a weekly average of 40 to 50.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Mark Porter)
Key Takeaways
- •Repeated Ukrainian drone attacks since mid‑March have halted shipments at Ust‑Luga and Primorsk, cutting roughly 40% (≈2 million barrels/day) of Russia’s oil export capacity (yahoo.com).
- •Weekly seaborne exports plunged from ~4.07 million bpd to ~2.32 million bpd by March 29, driving export revenues down by ~$1 billion despite higher Urals crude prices (themoscowtimes.com).
- •Damage to export infrastructure has prompted Russian refiners to seek alternate, costlier rail and southern routes; inability to ship fuel oil may force refinery throughput cuts and dampen fuel production (themoscowtimes.com)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Russian oil terminals under attack unable to accept shipments for second week, sources say
1Why are Russian oil terminals unable to accept shipments?
Ust-Luga and Primorsk oil export hubs were damaged by a series of Ukrainian drone attacks, disrupting their ability to handle shipments.
2How long have the Russian oil terminals been unable to ship oil?
The terminals have been unable to process shipments for at least the last two weeks of March and into April.
3What alternative export routes are Russian refineries using?
Refineries are considering more expensive rail transport and rerouting shipments to Vysotsk or Taman as alternative export terminals.
4What impact could the disruption have on Russian oil production?
Export restrictions and refinery disruptions may decrease Russia's overall oil production.
5How much has shipping activity at the terminals decreased?
Shipments from Primorsk and Ust-Luga are down to 'individual vessels' compared to the usual 40-50 weekly.
