The Kremlin accused Ukraine on Monday of launching an attack on a gas station at the Port of Ust-Luga on the Russian side of the Baltic Sea, leading to a major fire outbreak. Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, addressed the incident on Monday, stating, “The Kiev regime continues to reveal its barbaric nature by striking civilian infrastructure.”
Peskov condemned what he described as Ukraine’s bombardment of the Moscow-controlled Donetsk city in Eastern Ukraine on Sunday, branding it a “savage act of terrorism” that resulted in 27 fatalities.
In response, Peskov indicated that the Russian military and other governmental bodies are taking necessary actions, including deploying air defenses, following what is suspected to be a Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian fuel export station.
Russian company Novatek announced on Sunday that it temporarily halted certain operations at the station and “technological processes” at a nearby complex due to the fire. Ukrainian media claimed the fire resulted from a drone attack. The BBC reported that the explosion at the key gas export station near St. Petersburg in Russia was carried out by Ukrainian drones.
A Kiev official confirmed to the BBC that the attack on the facility was orchestrated by “special forces” of the Ukrainian Security Service using drones.
Novatek confirmed on Sunday that operations at the station were temporarily halted due to a fire, which they mentioned was caused by an “external factor.”
Local officials reported on Sunday that a fire broke out at a station owned by Novatek, Russia’s largest producer of liquefied natural gas, amidst reports of explosions and sightings of Ukrainian drones in the area.
According to the company, preliminary information suggested that the fire was caused by an “external factor,” without providing further details.
Novatek added, “Technological operations at Novatek-Ust-Luga have been halted, and an operational management center has been established to address the consequences. An assessment of the damages will be conducted at a later time.”
Per Novatek’s official website, the Ust-Luga complex, located on the Gulf of Finland approximately 170 kilometers west of St. Petersburg, processes stable gas condensates and converts them into light and heavy naphtha, jet fuel, fuel oil, and gas oil. The facility is used for shipping processed products to international markets.
