Blast and Leak Reported Aboard LPG Carrier at Ust-Luga, Russia

On Sunday, the Russian Transportation Ministry acknowledged "an incident" at the key Russian energy port of Ust-Luga, resulting in a "minor leak of liquid ammonia." The event occurred aboard LPG carrier Eco Wizard while it was conducting cargo operations. The crew was evacuated from the ship and the port's first responders are on scene.

Russian military-linked news channel Baza reports that the incident was an explosion, and given that divers were tasked to respond, it appears to have affected the hull below the waterline. No casualties among the crew or the port staff have been reported.

Eco Wizard appears to be the sixth Russia-serving energy vessel affected by a mysterious explosion since the beginning of 2025. Kyiv has not taken responsibility for the attacks, but Ukrainian military intelligence service HUR has taken time to comment upon previous blasts and to highlight the vessels' port calls in Russia.

Strike on Novorossiysk

Overnight Saturday, Ukrainian forces launched a multipronged drone attack on the Russian port of Novorossiysk, the last remaining stronghold of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Independent reviews of available satellite footage suggest that the attack caused little or no damage, and local bystander footage shows that at least one seaborne drone was intercepted and destroyed before reaching target.

Based on high-resolution satellite imaging from Airbus, open-source analyst Frontelligence / Tatarigami reports that four Russian Kilo-class subs were moored at Novorossiysk, along with a modern Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate, and a assortment of corvettes, minesweepers and smaller patrol boats. No damage was observed.

"Striking vessels in Russian bays remains a difficult task, as Russians have improved their defensive measures - this is not the first unsuccessful attempt at Novorossiysk," the analyst added.