A natural gas terminal in Ust-Luga, a Baltic Sea port near St Petersburg, experienced a blaze on Sunday.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to Novatek, Russia’s leading liquefied natural gas exporter, the blaze was caused by an “external factor”.
The fire, located 110 kilometers west of St Petersburg, near the Estonian border, has been “currently localized,” with no reported casualties.
Neither Novaktek nor the authorities gave further details about the cause of the fire, which is 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
While details about the cause remain scant, this incident follows Ukraine claiming responsibility for recent attacks on Russian oil depots, raising concerns amid Russia’s upcoming presidential election.
The Ust-Luga complex is crucial for processing natural gas condensate, and the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany starts from this location.
