Ukraine 'suicide drones' attack Putin's key energy plant in crippling blow

Ukraine’s suicide drone teams attacked a crucial Kremlin oil and gas plant, striking at the heart of Russia ’s energy export operation. The devastating attack emerged shortly after Ukraine ’s President Zelensky suggested Kyiv is now attacking Russia without consulting the US.

The long-range drone onslaught set the Ust-Luga facility, Russia’s main natural gas processing centre, a crippling blow to Moscow’s economy. Ukraine is believed to have used a number of its new Batyr kamikaze drones for the attack, with their 40 pound warhead and 500 miles strike range. It is believed the craft would have had to carry extra fuel for such a long strike since St Petersburg is roughly 625 miles from the nearest possible Ukraine border launch point.

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Hours later, as the news emerged, President Zelensky said: “At present, honestly, we are using our long-range weapons of domestic production. And lately, we have not been discussing such matters with the US.”

Long-range robot aircraft set off fiery explosions on the premises of the site, which processes gas piped from the Arctic and West Siberia, near the Baltic Sea port city St. Petersburg. Eyewitnesses reported at least two massive fires following the attack on Sunday.

The Gazprom-owned processing center facility is one of the largest natural gas processing plants in Europe and the main outlet for Russian natural gas exports by the Baltic Sea. Sources say the Ust-Luga complex at full capacity can process up to 45 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually and from that produce 13 million tons of liquified natural gas for export.

Moscow’s energy exports are believed to be the main source of financing of Russia’s war -machine as the country’s economy is ailing. St. Petersburg’s main airport, Pulkovo was shut down most of Sunday with 39 flights canceled and 60 flights delayed, St. Petersburg media reported.

It comes after weeks of devastating Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russia, smashing war planes, oil refineries, military supply HQ’s and ammunition caches. The Biden administration has restricted Kyiv from using US long-range weapons against Russian targets.

It also follows last week's Washington summit in which European leaders, along with President Zelensky met with US President Donald Trump as part of peace negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is believed Putin is stringing the west along and does not want yet to end the war in the hope of making territorial gains.

War in Ukraine has heralded a major arms race as the US has forced European NATO countries into boosting their spending on defence, the UK included. Russia has insisted no NATO troops can be in Ukraine after a ceasefire which will lead to the end of the war - although it is believed Putin will have to be forced to the negotiation table.

Ukraine has also recently unveiled its new Flamingo cruise missile with a reported range of almost 2,000 miles - further than most of Kyiv’s long-range drones. Kyiv has launched a new, flying-wing drone called a Batyar, which is believed to have been used in the latest attack.

Its range is 500 miles and it carried a 40 pound warhead. Since the Russian invasion was launched Moscow has lost more than a million troops to either death or injury on the frontline.

More than 11,000 Russian tanks have been destroyed, 422 Kremlin warplanes destroyed, 340 helicopters hit and 28 warships sunk.