Nightmare for Putin as explosion rocks gas terminal in major Russian city | World | News
A chemical transport terminal at Russia‘s Ust-Luga port experienced a devastating fire following two explosions, regional officials confirmed. Local media reports suggest that the port came under attack by Ukrainian drones, resulting in the explosion of a gas tank in the latest diaster for Vladimir Putin.
The Ust-Luga port, situated 165 kilometres southwest of St. Petersburg, is a crucial location for Russia‘s energy infrastructure. The affected site is operated by Novatek, the country’s second-largest natural gas producer.
Novatek released a press statement to Russian media outlet RBC, attributing the fire to an “external influence” and announcing a temporary suspension of operations at the port.
Yuriy Zapalatskiy, the head of Russia’s Kingisepp region where the port is located, issued a statement confirming that there were no reported casualties. However, the district has been placed on high alert as emergency response teams work to contain the situation.
According to reports from the news outlet Fontanka, two drones were detected heading towards St. Petersburg on Sunday morning but were redirected towards the Kingisepp region.
The possibility of Ukrainian involvement in the drone attack was not independently verified.
The Russian Ministry of Defence, in its daily briefing, did not report any drone activity in the Kingisepp area.
Instead, it stated that four Ukrainian drones had been successfully downed in Russia’s Smolensk region, with two more shot down in the Oryol and Tula regions.
This incident follows confirmation from Russian officials that a Ukrainian drone had been intercepted on the outskirts of St. Petersburg just days before.