Ukraine strikes key Russian oil terminal in largest drone attack in months

Ukraine set fire to Russia’s largest oil terminal and two tankers overnight Friday in its largest drone attack against the Kremlin in months. The port of Primorsk, which has the ability to load about 1 million barrels of crude oil per day, was for the first time in its war forced to suspend loadings, two industry sources and Ukraine’s military told Reuters. There was no reported oil spillage, but two vessels were set ablaze, including one with the capacity to carry 700,000 barrels of oil. Operations at the northwestern port were suspended in the aftermath of the overnight attack.It is not clear if they have since resumed, though the fires had been extinguished. Oil prices surged in the aftermath of the attack — with the US West Texas Intermediate crude gaining 56 cents, or 0.9%, to $62.93 per barrel.“Those attacks on Russian energy infrastructure have room to drag down Russian crude and refined product exports,” Security Service of Ukraine analyst Giovanni Staunovo said.It is the first time a Russian port has been forced to cease operations, despite previous drone strikes on the oil trade in recent months. Ukraine has been increasingly targeting Russia’s crude oil production terminals and vessels in recent months in an effort to cut the Kremlin off from its main source of revenue by limiting its export abilities. Kyiv hopes that the move will force negotiations to end the war between the two nations. The overnight Friday attack is the First on the Primorsk port, a flagship terminal, loading about 1 million barrels per day, as well as 300,000 barrels of diesel. Russia claims to have intercepted 221 Ukrainian drones overnight. Meanwhile, at least two civilians were killed in Ukraine’s Sumy region when a Russian glide bomb struck a village near the border.The Kremlin said on Friday there was a pause in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.With Post Wires...