Satellite data shows significantly greater damage from the March 23 drone strike on the oil port of Primorsk in Russia’s Leningrad Region than had previously been reported, experts from Greenpeace Central and Eastern Europe said in comments to The Insider.
Based on images from March 23 and 24, they assessed that five or six fuel storage tanks may have been destroyed in the fire. They also noted that the smoke plume was far larger than initially estimated, extending for more than 200 kilometers (just over 124 miles) rather than the 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) previously reported.
After reviewing satellite images of the port of Ust-Luga taken on March 26, the experts said signs of burning remain visible, though cloud cover has so far obscured details.
Primorsk — one of the key ports for Russian oil exports in the Gulf of Finland — was struck by drones on March 23. Reports later emerged of an attack on Ust-Luga, another important part of Russia’s energy export infrastructure. The Insider was able to confirm the authenticity of videos showing a large fire at the port, while analysts from the open source intelligence (OSINT) project GeoConfirmed verified its exact location.
