Star Metro - Ukraine hits major Russian oil port near Finland

Satellite images showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke rising into the air from the oil terminal in the Russian town of Primorsk, which sits on the Gulf of Finland and is about 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the EU and NATO member.

Russia has been pummelling Ukraine with near-daily air strikes, repeatedly hitting its energy infrastructure and triggering blackouts that plunged millions into cold and darkness during the winter months.

Ukraine has retaliated by launching drone attacks at Russia, mainly at Moscow's energy and military facilities.

"A fuel tank was damaged in the port of Primorsk, causing a fire," said Alexander Drozdenko, governor of Russia's western Leningrad region.

Drozdenko said Russian air defence systems had destroyed more than 70 drones over the region, which has not been a main front in Russia's war with Ukraine.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said it had "struck key fuel and energy infrastructure facilities in the Russian Federation", including at Primorsk.

"According to preliminary information, both the tank farm and the oil loading infrastructure were hit," the General Staff said on social media on Monday.

The satellite images appeared to show fires and smoke rising from several cylindrical fuel tanks at the site.

Ukraine said Primorsk handles approximately 60 million tonnes of oil per year.

"The aggressor country uses the proceeds from oil sales to continue the war against Ukraine," it added.

The General Staff also claimed a hit on an oil refinery in the central Russian city of Ufa, around 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) from the front line.

It said the strike caused "a fire on the facility's grounds".

Ukraine's air force said on Monday that Moscow fired 251 drones at Ukraine overnight, 234 of which were shot down.

S.Clark--SMC