April 2 (Reuters) – Russia’s Baltic Sea port of Primorsk, one of country’s largest export gateways, lost at least 40% of its storage facilities in Ukrainian drone attacks last month, U.S. commercial satellite images seen by Reuters showed on Thursday.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian energy facilities in the past month, launching the heaviest drone strikes on the Baltic Sea ports during the more than four-year war.
At some point last month, around 40% of Russia’s oil exporting capabilities were shut due to the attacks, closure of the Druzhba pipeline in Ukraine and seizure of Russia-linked tankers.
Satellite images from the end of March, supplied by U.S. spatial intelligence company Vantor, showed at least eight reservoirs with a capacity of 50,000 cubic metres each were damaged. That amounts to at least 40% of the port’s total storage and may force the outlet to cut turnover accordingly, traders said.
The reservoirs play an important role in the logistics chain at the ports and their availability directly impacts the oil exports.
Another Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga was also attacked last month several times and it had to suspend loading.
Russian oil pipeline monopoly Transneft data showed that Primorsk, which is able to handle 1 million barrels of oil per day, or almost 1% of global oil supply, has at its main oil depot 14 crude oil reservoirs and four facilities to store diesel.
According to industry sources, two of eight seriously damaged tanks were used to handle diesel.
Transneft, which also controls the ports, did not reply to a request for comment.
Russian local authorities say Ust-Luga was hit on March 22, 25, 27, 29 and 31, forcing suspensions of export operations.
Satellite images also showed that eight oil product reservoirs with capacity of 30,000 cubic metres each at a terminal, called Ust-Luga Oil, were damaged by fire. That accounts for about a quarter of all storage at the outlet.
Some berth facilities were also hit, the satellite images showed.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has called the strikes “terrorist attacks,” adding that Russia was working on protecting its critical infrastructure.
(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Jane Merriman)
