About 40% of the Russian Federation’s oil export capacity has become inoperative due to large-scale attacks by Ukrainian drones, the seizure of tankers, and the shutdown of the Druzhba pipeline. According to estimates, this amounts to approximately 2 million barrels of oil per day.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Large-Scale Attacks on Key Ports and Their Consequences
In March, Ukraine significantly intensified strikes on critical oil infrastructure vital to Russia. Specifically, three key export ports were struck: Novorossiysk on the Black Sea, as well as Primorsk and Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea. Due to the threat to western export routes, Russia was forced to redirect oil supplies to Asian countries, but these routes have limited capacity.
Following the attacks by Ukrainian drones, which caused large fires, operations at the terminals in Primorsk and Ust-Luga were temporarily halted. Smoke from the fires was visible even from Finnish territory. According to sources, tanks in Ust-Luga continue to burn, and there have been no reports of casualties so far.
The Director of the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard, Jukka-Pekka Lumilahti, noted that the fire in Primorsk has not yet been fully extinguished.
“It is still burning almost as much as at the beginning. These are indeed large fires, and there is a huge amount of smoke there.”
According to him, no oil leaks have been recorded at the site of the incident so far.
Financial Consequences and Russia’s Reaction
Despite the damage to infrastructure, as of March 24, Russia’s average daily earnings from oil exports have doubled over the past three weeks – from $135 million to $270 million. This increase is attributed to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the conflict in the Middle East and the easing of U.S. sanctions.
Since the beginning of the large-scale war, airstrikes have regularly targeted Russian territory and occupied areas of Ukraine. Throughout 2024 and 2025, oil refineries remained the primary target of such attacks. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has repeatedly confirmed these strikes, emphasizing that the Ukrainian Defense Forces are systematically working to weaken the combat potential of Russian occupation forces and compel Russia to cease its aggression.
The Secretary of the Security Council of Russia and former Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu stated that due to the development of Ukrainian drone systems, no Russian region can feel safe from attacks.