Ukrainian drone strikes hit St. Petersburg oil terminal as war escalates deep inside Russia
A Ukrainian drone strike hit an oil terminal in St. Petersburg on Saturday, according to Russian officials, as Kyiv continues its sustained campaign targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure.
Authorities said the attack struck the Kirovsky district along the Baltic Sea. The regional governor reported that air defenses intercepted 72 drones over St. Petersburg and surrounding areas during the overnight assault.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strikes are part of what he described as “long-range sanctions” on Russia. He also said Ukrainian forces targeted a military site on Kronstadt island near St. Petersburg, calling the oil infrastructure a source of funding for Russia’s war effort.
The Kirovsky district had previously been targeted in June ahead of a major international economic forum held in the city.
The broader campaign against Russian energy facilities has intensified in recent months, with frequent drone strikes contributing to fuel shortages and mounting pressure on Russian authorities as the war approaches its fifth year. In Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, officials have restricted gasoline sales to civilians amid repeated attacks. Local authorities said a separate Ukrainian strike on Saturday killed one person and injured two others, including a child.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has downplayed the impact of strikes on energy infrastructure, describing them as “not critical,” while maintaining that Russia will continue its military campaign until its objectives are achieved. Russian officials have also accused Ukraine of attempting to distract from battlefield setbacks.
On Friday, Putin visited a military command center overseeing operations in Ukraine and was briefed on the reported capture of Kostyantynivka after weeks of fighting. He described the city as strategically important, with further advances expected toward other key towns in the region.
Russian military officials claimed Ukrainian forces had been pushed back from positions near Kostyantynivka, though Ukrainian officials rejected those claims and accused Moscow of spreading misinformation about battlefield developments. Zelenskyy said Russian forces were exaggerating their gains and challenged Putin to meet for talks, an offer the Kremlin dismissed, saying any meeting would only occur if Ukraine accepts “consequential decisions.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone strikes have also impacted Russian border regions, with Belgorod experiencing widespread power outages after overnight attacks, according to local reports.
In Ukraine, officials said Russian strikes hit residential areas in the Zaporizhzhia region, wounding eight people, including two children.
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