Officials announce explosion at St Petersburg gas terminal

Fire fighters extinguish the blaze at Russia’s second-largest natural gas producer, Novatek in Ust-Luga, 165 kilometres southwest of St. Petersburg, Russia on Sunday

There has been an explosion at a gas export terminal near the Russian city of St Petersburg, officials have claimed.

State-owned RIA Novosti news agency said that the blast caused a large fire but that it had been contained. There have been no reports of injuries.

While local media have reported drone activity in the area, the cause of the fire is not known.

Although both Russia and Ukraine have used drones in the ongoing conflict, Ukraine usually does not admit such attacks.

Recently, Russia has been making little progress in the nearly two-year-long way.

Regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said a “high alert regime” was in place after the incident at the terminal of gas producer Novatek, in Ust-Luga on the Gulf of Finland, near St Petersburg.

Novatek confirmed that work at the terminal had been suspended until further notice, adding that the fire was the result of “external influence”. They did not provide further details.

The Ust-Luga Oil oil terminal in Leningrad Oblast processes fuel, with the majority of it going to the Russian military.