Ukraine strikes Russia's largest oil export hub in drone wave
Strikes hit Primorsk, Russia's largest oil export facility capable of handling 1 million barrels per day, and multiple shadow fleet tankers used to circumvent Western sanctions. President Zelenskyy confirmed forces also destroyed a Russian missile ship.
May 3rd 2026 · Ukraine
Ukraine launched a significant wave of drone strikes against Russian oil infrastructure on Sunday, hitting the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk, which is Russia's largest oil exporting facility, and striking multiple vessels including shadow fleet tankers used to evade Western sanctions. The nighttime attack on Primorsk, operated by state oil firm Transneft and capable of handling up to 1 million barrels per day, sparked a blaze that was quickly extinguished with no reported oil spill. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces also destroyed a Karakurt-class missile ship, a patrol boat, and a shadow fleet tanker, with operations reportedly led by Chief of General Staff Andrii Hnatov. In a separate strike, two shadow fleet tankers were hit near the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. Russian officials reported extensive damage across multiple regions from Ukrainian drones. A 77-year-old man was killed in a village near Volokolamsk, approximately 120 kilometers west of Moscow, while a 21-year-old man and his father died when a drone struck their car in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine. In Smolensk, three people including a child were injured when drone debris hit an apartment block. Russian Defense Ministry reported that 334 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight over Russia and occupied Crimea, while Moscow's mayor Sergei Sobyanin said at least four more were intercepted approaching the capital. Ukraine also suffered casualties from Russian drone attacks overnight. Two people were killed and three wounded in strikes on Ukraine's southern Odesa region, where emergency services reported damage to three residential buildings and port infrastructure. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, six people were wounded and a passenger bus carrying 40 children was damaged. Russia attacked Ukraine with 269 drones and ballistic missiles, with Ukrainian air defenses intercepting 249 drones. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that continued strikes on Russian oil infrastructure could push global oil prices above $120 per barrel. Ukrainian officials argue that oil revenue directly funds Russia's invasion, now in its fifth year.