Ukraine war latest: Ukraine hits Russia's key Baltic Sea oil port, Bashkortostan oil refinery, General Staff confirms

War Ukraine war latest: Ukraine hits Russia's key Baltic Sea oil port, Bashkortostan oil refinery, General Staff confirms March 23, 2026 10:09 pm • 7 min read Prefer on Google by The Kyiv Independent news desk Key developments on March 23: Ukraine hits Russia's key Baltic Sea oil port, Bashkortostan oil refinery, General Staff confirms Ukrainian defense tech firm lands first US-Ukraine 'minerals fund' deal Ukraine has 'irrefutable evidence' of Russia providing intelligence to Iran, Zelensky says Ukraine names Hungarian officer allegedly behind spy network busted in 2025 Ukrainian forces targeted the Transneft oil terminal at the port of Primorsk in Leningrad Oblast and the Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim refinery in Ufa, Bashkortostan, overnight on March 23, the General Staff confirmed . Primorsk handles around 60 million tons of oil annually and is Russia's main oil export hub on the Baltic Sea. The port lies approximately 1,087 kilometers (675 miles) from Ukraine's nearest border point. A fuel tank and oil-loading infrastructure were hit, causing a fire a break to break out at the facility in Primorsk, according to the General Staff . While local authorities said only one fuel tank was damaged, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that at least four tanks were on fire, citing satellite imagery. The strike on the Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim oil refinery, about 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) from the border, also sparked a fire, the General Staff said, adding the facility has an annual processing capacity of 6-8 million tons. The targeted facilities play a significant role in the processing, storage, and transportation of fuel used to support Russia's war effort against Ukraine. The extent of the damage is still being clarified. read also Ukrainian defense tech firm lands first US-Ukraine 'minerals fund' deal Just over a year after a dramatic Oval Office clash derailed the now-infamous "minerals deal," the fund it spawned is making its first move, backing Ukraine's defense tech s...