A significant fire at the oil terminal in Primorsk, located in the Leningrad region of Russia, has now entered its fifth day. The blaze intensified overnight on March 27 following another drone attack.
Satellite images from Planet Labs revealed that the fire, which has persisted since March 23, has spread to new areas of the terminal’s infrastructure. Thick smoke can be seen rising above the site.
Earlier, on March 23, Ukrainian Security Service drones, in coordination with other defense units, targeted the oil terminal, igniting a large fire that has continued to burn. This terminal is the largest oil port in Russia on the Baltic Sea and serves as a crucial export hub, facilitating a significant portion of the country’s oil shipments to international markets, including those using the so-called ‘shadow fleet’. In 2025 alone, over 46.6 million tons of oil were handled at this terminal.
After the initial strike, fuel loading operations at the terminal were temporarily halted. However, reports from Bloomberg indicate that the port has partially resumed operations.
The fire at the Primorsk oil terminal, fueled by drone attacks, has persisted for five days, impacting operations at Russia's key oil export hub. The situation remains critical as the facility attempts to recover from the damage.