Ukraine Attempts to Secure Hydrocarbon Resources Supporting Moscow’s Invasion
( AFP / BEN STANSALL )
Ukrainian strikes on the ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk have prompted Russia to strengthen anti-aircraft defense around critical sites in the Leningrad region (northwest), on the edge of the Baltic Sea, the regional governor announced on Friday, April 17.
“It has been decided to enhance the protection of the region’s airspace against drone attacks,” Governor Alexander Drozdenko stated on Telegram, following a meeting with authorities and leaders of essential infrastructures.
Additional mobile anti-aircraft defense groups will be deployed around companies and infrastructures,
he said. They are expected to be made up of voluntary reservists who will be offered three-year contracts, he added.
Critical Ports for Petroleum Exports
Two ports in the Leningrad region, Ust-Luga and Primorsk, crucial for Russian exports of fertilizers, oil, and coal, have been targeted by Ukrainian drone attacks recently.
Compared to the same period in 2025,
oil shipments were halved in the week following a drone attack on March 23,
according to calculations by the Center for Energy and Clean Air (Crea), an independent analysis group based in Helsinki.
Ukraine is attempting to secure the hydrocarbon resources that Moscow uses to support and finance the large-scale offensive that the Russian army has been conducting in Ukraine for over four years.
These attacks have increased as the war in the Middle East has caused a surge in prices, which could help replenish the Russian state’s finances.
