Huge fires at Russian oil facilities after Ukraine strikes

MOSCOW, Mar 31 (BBC): Satellite imagery and verified videos show Ukraine has repeatedly struck key Russian oil export infrastructure near the Baltic Sea in the past week, leaving some facilities burning for several days.
BBC Verify has confirmed at least three oil sites in Russia's Leningrad region have been attacked since 23 March, including the ports of and Ust-Luga and Primorsk - and the inland Kirishi oil refinery.
On Tuesday, Ukraine drone forces commander Robert Brovdi said Ust-Luga had been struck again on Monday night "to keep the fire going".
Governor of Leningrad region Alexander Drozdenko said three people, including two children, were injured during the attack in which 38 drones were shot down.
According to analysis by the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea) 20% of Russia's total oil exports departed from Ust-Luga and 22% from Primorsk.
Recent data shows no ships were loaded with oil in any of Russia's three Baltic ports on 26 and 27 March, which Crea said is the first period of two consecutive days with no such activity since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Satellite images show enormous plumes of smoke rising from burning oil facilities in Primorsk on 24 March, as well as fires at Ust-Luga and extensive damage to Kirishi on 27 March.
Nasa's satellite resource FIRMS, used to detect heat signatures on the Earth's surface, indicates Primorsk was still burning as of 02:54 BST on Monday and at Ust-Luga at 12:28 on Monday.
BBC Verify has also confirmed several videos showing the aftermath of attacks on all three facilities in the past week, including clips showing massive smoke plumes rising into the sky from Primorsk.