Explosions rock Russian regions including key oil terminal amid alleged Ukrainian drone attacks
On the night of January 21, explosions were reported in several regions of Russia, including Tula, Smolensk, Oryol, and Leningrad regions. The blasts in the Ust-Luga port in the Leningrad region were the most destructive, from where natural gas is transported, the BBC reports.
Russian authorities claim that in some cases, the explosions were caused by attacks from Ukrainian drones, while in others, like in Ust-Luga, they reported blasts without stating any specific reasons.
Initially, Russian authorities insisted that the attacks did not achieve their intended goals or were not highly destructive. However, photographs and videos on social media show fire and significant explosions in all four regions.
It is now known that the fire at the terminal had serious consequences, hampering the operation of the facility.
According to sources at the Ukrainian news agency Suspilne, the overnight attack on the seaport terminal in Ust-Luga was a special operation carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). The SBU drones struck their targets with precision, sparking a large-scale fire that continues to rage, and the Russians were forced to evacuate their personnel.
"The Ust-Luga Oil terminal in the Leningrad region is an important facility for the Russians. It processes fuel, which, among other destinations, goes to the Russian armed forces. A successful attack on such a terminal not only inflicts economic damage on the enemy, depriving the occupiers of the means to fund their war in Ukraine but also significantly complicates the logistics of fuel for Russian military operations," said Suspilne’s source.