Drone Strike Sparks Fire at Russia’s Ust-Luga Port

Firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze, Drozdenko said in a Telegram post. NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System showed new heat anomalies across the port area in satellite images taken Wednesday, potentially indicating multiple fires.

Ust-Luga is Russia’s leading Baltic Sea outlet for oil and other commodity exports. The port handles crude oil, fuels, coal, fertilizers and grain, and the site also hosts a refinery operated by Novatek. Ukraine has targeted the facility repeatedly; attacks since Russia’s 2022 invasion have at times halted shipments and loadings, according to the source.

The strikes came as Russian and Ukrainian representatives met in Abu Dhabi, with U.S. mediation, to discuss a path toward a peace agreement. Talks that began Tuesday were set to continue Wednesday. Ukraine planned to raise the possibility of a direct meeting between the two countries’ presidents, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday evening.

“I think that tomorrow the teams will discuss the possibility of meeting at the level of leaders. I'm not sure that Russia is ready, but we will raise this topic,” Zelenskyy said.