Russia says 51 drones downed near key oil export hub

Russian authorities said early Friday that 51 drones were shot down over the Leningrad region in an overnight attack near Ust-Luga, a key oil export hub.

Leningrad Governor Alexander Drozdenko said on Telegram that authorities initially announced a drone threat across the region as air defense operations got underway.

He later said that 15 "enemy" drones had been downed, with the number subsequently rising to 37 as operations continued.

In a further update, Drozdenko said a total of 51 drones had been shot down over the Leningrad region.

"As a result of the damage, a fire was recorded in the port of Ust-Luga," he said. "Experts began extinguishing the fire. The fighting continues."

The governor later announced that the drone threat had been eliminated.