Drone strikes hit Russia’s Ust-Luga port, wound three as attacks intensify

Moscow — Drone attacks damaged infrastructure at Russia’s Ust-Luga port on the Baltic Sea early Tuesday, wounding three people including two children, as authorities said air defenses downed dozens of drones in the Leningrad region amid escalating cross-border strikes linked to the war in Ukraine.

Regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said in a statement on social media that 38 drones were intercepted overnight and that the port, located on the Gulf of Finland, sustained fresh damage for the third time in a week.

He did not specify the extent of the damage.Repeated strikes on export hubUst-Luga is a major node for Russian exports of fertilizers, oil and coal, and has been targeted multiple times in recent days.

Russian authorities previously reported fires at the port following drone strikes on Sunday and Wednesday.The latest attack underscores growing pressure on infrastructure tied to Russia’s export revenues, which Kyiv has increasingly targeted as part of its military strategy.

Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone operations against Russian facilities, including refineries, oil depots and ports. Officials in Kyiv say such strikes are intended to disrupt revenue streams that support Moscow’s military campaign.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has defended the attacks as a proportionate response to Russia’s offensive, though Ukrainian authorities did not immediately comment on the latest incident.

Efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict have faltered, with talks between Moscow and Kyiv, brokered by the United States, losing momentum. Diplomatic attention has been diverted by intensifying hostilities in the Middle East, further complicating prospects for de-escalation in the four-year war.

Russia has not provided additional operational details on the overnight interceptions or potential disruptions to port activity.