Ukrainian forces have struck a Russian Karakurt-class missile ship, a patrol vessel and an oil tanker linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet in a coordinated attack on the port of Primorsk in Leningrad Oblast, according to Kyiv officials.
The acting head of Ukraine’s Security Service, Yevhen Khmara, told President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the operation also caused “significant damage” to infrastructure at the oil-loading port.
The Karakurt-class vessel targeted in the strike is a Russian missile ship armed with Kalibr cruise missiles, which form part of Moscow’s naval strike capability.
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President Zelenskyy said the attack was part of a broader effort to degrade Russia’s military capacity.
“Every such result of ours limits Russia’s war potential,” he said, adding that further “just responses” had been coordinated with Ukraine’s security services following Russian strikes on Ukrainian territory.
The operation in Primorsk follows another reported Ukrainian strike earlier in the day on two vessels belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet near the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian oil infrastructure in recent months, focusing on terminals in Leningrad Oblast, including the ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk, both key nodes in Russia’s Baltic export network.
Although the region lies more than 1,000 kilometres from Ukraine’s border, it has become increasingly exposed as Kyiv has developed long-range strike capabilities, allowing it to hit strategic infrastructure deep inside Russian territory.
Our warriors continue to apply sanctions against Russia’s shadow oil fleet – two such vessels were struck in the waters at the entrance to the port of Novorossiysk. These tankers had been actively used to transport oil – not anymore. I am grateful to Chief of the General Staff… pic.twitter.com/8aCse8h95j
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 3, 2026
Leningrad Oblast’s position on the Baltic Sea makes it a critical hub for Russian energy exports, particularly through its oil-loading facilities, which are believed to help circumvent Western sanctions.
Ukrainian officials say the expansion of long-range operations is intended to place sustained pressure on Russia’s military logistics and energy revenues, which continue to underpin its war effort.
The latest strikes mark a further escalation in Ukraine’s campaign against Russian naval and energy assets, extending the geographic scope of the conflict deeper into Russian territory and across multiple maritime theatres.
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