Ukrainian Drone Attack Hits Oil Terminal in St. Petersburg
According to Russian officials, a Ukrainian drone strike targeted an oil terminal in St. Petersburg on Saturday, coinciding with increased shelling by Ukraine of Russian oil facilities.
These frequent long-range attacks have ignited a fuel crisis in Russia and are piling political pressure on the Kremlin as the invasion of Ukraine moves into its fifth year.
Governor Alexander Beglov reported that the Kirovsky district, located near the Baltic Sea, was impacted. He also mentioned that air defense systems intercepted 72 Ukrainian drones in the vicinity of Russia’s second-largest city.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy characterized the strike as part of Ukraine’s long-term strategy against Russia. He noted that Ukrainian forces also engaged military targets on Kronstadt Island, situated off the coast of St. Petersburg.
Zelenskiy stated on Telegram, “The Ukrainian Armed Forces have targeted the oil infrastructure of a port that underpins Russia’s war efforts, which includes an attack on Kronstadt, a significant military site.”
The Kirovsky district had previously experienced damage in June, ahead of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Meanwhile, Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has faced intensified strikes, leading local authorities to suspend gasoline sales to residents. Moscow’s new governor, Sergei Aksyonov, reported that the recent drone attack resulted in one fatality and injuries to two others, including a 10-year-old child.
President Vladimir Putin downplayed Ukraine’s attacks on Russian energy facilities, suggesting they were “not serious” and reiterating that the war would persist until its objectives were met. He claimed the strikes were a diversion from Ukraine’s battlefield losses, yet some analysts believe they have disrupted Russian military progress.
On Friday, Putin visited the military headquarters overseeing operations in Ukraine and was informed about the capture of Kostiantynivka following weeks of fierce urban combat. He commended this achievement as a significant step toward seizing nearby cities like Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, which remain strongholds in the heavily fortified Donetsk region under Ukrainian control.
Dressed in military attire, Putin emphasized the strategic importance of Kostiantynivka, a major transport and industrial hub.
Contrarily, Ukrainian officials denied that Russia has taken control of Kostiantynivka. General Staff Spokesman Major Andriy Kovalev remarked in an interview that Moscow was disseminating “blatant disinformation” regarding the situation.
Putin seems to be confident that his government can manage the fuel crisis without eroding support for the war that began over four years ago. However, the recent attack served as a stark reminder of the conflict’s impact on Russian civilians, undermining Putin’s claims that the war wouldn’t affect daily life.
In Belgorod, a border city that has also been frequently attacked by Ukrainian drones, local reports indicated that the area was left nearly completely without power following Saturday evening’s strike.
In a separate incident in Zaporizhia, southeastern Ukraine, local authorities reported that eight individuals, including two children, were injured in a Russian attack on a residential building.
