Authorities in Russia’s Leningrad region confirmed that additional mobile fire units would be deployed to protect strategic facilities, including the major Baltic ports of and , which have faced repeated attacks in recent weeks. Governor said the units would include reservists serving on voluntary contracts, tasked specifically with countering unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) threats.

Kyiv has described the strikes as retaliatory measures against Russia’s sustained aerial bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian forces have increasingly targeted Russia’s energy infrastructure, aiming to disrupt export revenues that remain a key source of funding for Moscow’s war effort.

The attacks have had a measurable impact on Russia’s oil logistics. According to data cited by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, oil shipments from Ust-Luga and Primorsk fell by roughly half in the week following a March 23 drone strike compared to the same period a year earlier.

Despite these disruptions, Russia’s oil revenues have shown resilience. The reported that Russian oil export earnings nearly doubled to $19 billion in March, reflecting elevated global prices amid broader geopolitical tensions, including conflict in the Middle East.
President had previously authorized the use of reservists to guard energy infrastructure under legislation signed last year, as Ukraine expanded its use of long-range drones to strike deeper into Russian territory.

The intensifying exchange of strikes underscores a shift in the conflict toward targeting economic assets, with both sides seeking to degrade the other’s capacity to sustain prolonged military operations.

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.