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Russia's Quiet Port Move Betrays Fears of 'Devastating' Drone Attack


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A port in St. Petersburg has stopped handling saltpeter transshipments due to an uptick in drone attacks on Russian soil, amid fears that an attack in the area could have "devastating" consequences for the city, a local newspaper has reported.

Local authorities plan to move the transshipment of saltpeter from the Big Port of St. Petersburg to Ust-Luga, a vast Baltic Sea fuel export terminal and processing complex, national newspaper Kommersant reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources.

A homemade prototype drone
A homemade prototype drone is tested with fake RPG -7 grenade in a field outside the city on November 9, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The Kremlin has accused Kyiv of attempting to carry out terrorist attacks... Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Saltpeter, or sodium/potassium nitrate, is an impurity that commonly occurs in salt, and is commonly used in gunpowder and fireworks. It isn't explosive by itself, but the substance can create a high explosive, exothermic reaction if it comes in contact with reducing agents, such as sulfur or charcoal-based compounds.

One of Kommersant's sources said that after Ukraine launched a drone attack on a St. Petersburg oil terminal on January 18, Governor Alexander Beglov "fears a possible sabotage with devastating consequences."

"Ammonium nitrate is potentially explosive. Ust-Luga is named as a new place for saltpeter transshipment... for the port of St. Petersburg, this means a loss of a significant 3 million tons of cargo per year," Kommersant said.

Newsweek has contacted Russia's foreign ministry for comment by email.

Ukraine has ramped up attacks on Russian oil hubs and refineries in recent weeks, forcing Moscow to approve a temporary ban on the export of gasoline in February.

Kyiv's drone attack on the St. Petersburg oil terminal, about 620 miles from the Ukrainian border, marked the first time a drone had targeted Putin's home region since the full-scale war in Ukraine began.

Another Ukrainian drone attack near the city of St. Petersburg on January 21 struck a major gas export terminal—a Novatek PJSC gas-condensate plant in the port Ust-Luga—causing a huge fire and halting fuel supplies. Ust-Luga is Russia's largest Baltic port, and Ukraine's Security Service claimed responsibility for that attack.

"Problems at Russian oil refineries have become systemic," Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs, said on X (formerly Twitter), in January.

Many Ukrainian drone strikes have also targeted ammunition depots and warehouses. The Kremlin has accused Kyiv of attempting to carry out terrorist attacks using drones.

Ukraine rarely claims responsibility for attacks on Russian soil.

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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