Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 23, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on Google
Russia’s key Baltic ports—Primorsk and Ust‑Luga—have halted crude oil and fuel exports since March 22 due to drone strikes that ignited fuel storage at Primorsk and disrupted operations at Ust‑Luga, exacerbating global supply tightness amid other regional disruptions.
MOSCOW, March 23 (Reuters) - The Baltic Sea ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga, Russia's largest petroleum export outlets, have suspended exports of crude oil and fuel since Sunday following drone attacks, two industry sources told Reuters on Monday.
The suspension adds to the global shortages caused by Tehran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
The governor of the Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, said several fuel reservoirs in Primorsk had been set ablaze after drone attacks but did not mention the suspension of oil exports.
It was not immediately clear if the port of Ust-Luga had sustained any damage.
Russia's oil pipeline monopoly Transneft, which operates both ports, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Primorsk, which is able to export more than 1 million barrels of crude oil per day, is a major outlet for Russia's flagship Urals crude and high-quality diesel.
According to sources, Ust-Luga exported 32.9 million metric tons of oil products last year, and Primorsk 16.8 million tons.
Ust-Luga handles around 700,000 bpd of oil exports.
Ukraine has regularly attacked Russian oil exporting facilities and oil refineries in an attempt to undermine Moscow's war economy and resist Russia's four-year-old invasion. It did not comment on the Baltic port attacks.
Oil loadings were also interrupted when Primorsk was attacked in September.
This month, oil exports from Russia's largest Black Sea port, Novorossiysk, were also affected by drone attacks.
Drozdenko said 35 drones had been shot down over the Leningrad region in recent attacks, while the defence ministry said 249 drones in total had been intercepted and destroyed over Russia overnight.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Tom Hogue, Guy Faulconbridge and Kevin Liffey)
Russia suspended exports from Primorsk and Ust-Luga after drone attacks set several fuel reservoirs ablaze, according to industry sources.
The ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga, Russia's largest petroleum export outlets, have suspended exports since Sunday.
Primorsk exports over 1 million barrels of oil per day, and Ust-Luga exported 32.9 million metric tons of oil products last year.
Ukraine has regularly attacked Russian oil facilities but did not comment on the recent Baltic port attacks.
Yes, oil exports from Novorossiysk, Russia’s largest Black Sea port, were also affected by drone attacks this month.
Explore more articles in the Finance category
