In brief
Ukrainian forces launched a drone strike on a major oil terminal in Russia's second city, St Petersburg, the first of several attacks on critical energy infrastructure this month. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the hit as a major revenue generator for Russian war efforts, while St Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov confirmed the terminal was hit and reported no casualties. Video evidence shows black smoke billowing from the struck site and a high‑altitude drone approaching the target. The strike underscores Ukraine's strategy of crippling Russian supply lines, intensifying pressure on the Russian war machine.
Ukraine’s Drone Strike on St Petersburg Oil Terminal
Ukraine’s military claims that a drone strike hit the largest oil terminal in Russia’s second city, St Petersburg, disrupting a key source of fuel for the war.
President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on social media that the strike targeted “port oil infrastructure that generates revenue for Russia’s war,” adding that a significant military target had also been hit in the naval base of Kronstadt.
St Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov said the city was under a “massive” drone assault, confirmed that the terminal was hit, and reported no casualties, though 72 Ukrainian drones were reported shot down.
The attack forms part of Ukraine’s recent campaign against Russia’s critical energy infrastructure, notably in the northwest, and the damage remains uncertain.
Ukraine noted the hit site was 850 km from the Ukrainian border, and a video showed a drone approaching the oil terminal before a column of black smoke erupted.
The BBC later verified the strike on St Petersburg’s oil terminal, which can process 12.5 million tonnes of petroleum products annually.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian military spokesman Maj Andriy Kovalyov dismissed Russian claims that the eastern town of Kostyantynivka had fallen under full Russian control.
