Ukraine has claimed responsibility for a major overnight drone attack on Russia’s second-largest city, St Petersburg, saying it successfully struck a key oil terminal and a major naval facility linked to Moscow’s war effort.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the operation targeted critical infrastructure that generates revenue for Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. According to Ukrainian officials, the attacks hit sites located around 850 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, highlighting Kyiv’s growing ability to carry out long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory.
St Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov confirmed that the city came under what he described as a “massive” drone attack. He acknowledged that the oil terminal had been hit but said there were no casualties.
Footage released by Zelensky showed a drone approaching its target followed by a large plume of black smoke rising into the air. The BBC later verified that the oil terminal in St Petersburg had indeed been struck.
Ukraine’s military described the facility as one of Russia’s largest oil terminals, with an annual production capacity of 12.5 million tonnes of petroleum products. Ukrainian officials have increasingly targeted Russian energy infrastructure, arguing that oil and gas revenues are crucial to financing Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Kyiv recently claimed that nearly 43% of Russia’s oil refining capacity has been disabled by its drone campaign, although that figure has not been independently verified.
The Ukrainian military also announced that a key naval base of Russia’s Baltic Fleet in Kronstadt was hit during the overnight operation. Russian authorities have not publicly commented on the reported strike against the naval facility.
Governor Beglov said Russian air defence systems intercepted 72 Ukrainian drones over St Petersburg and the wider Leningrad region. Residents were urged to remain indoors while authorities dealt with the threat, and officials warned that mobile internet services could face temporary disruptions.
The latest attack comes as Russia grapples with growing fuel supply problems caused by repeated Ukrainian strikes on energy facilities. Russian President Vladimir Putin last week made a rare acknowledgment of fuel shortages and on Saturday signed legislation aimed at increasing domestic fuel supplies.
Meanwhile, fighting continues on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian military officials denied Russian claims that the strategic town of Kostyantynivka had fallen under Moscow’s control.
Military spokesman Major Andriy Kovalyov said the town remains under the control of Ukrainian defence forces, although he acknowledged that small Russian infantry groups had managed to infiltrate certain positions. He added that these groups were being located and eliminated.
Putin had claimed on Friday that Russian forces had established control over Kostyantynivka in June but provided no evidence to support the assertion.
Responding to the claim, Zelensky wrote on Telegram that if Russia truly controlled the town, Putin should have no difficulty meeting him there to discuss diplomatic solutions to end the war. He added that the reality on the ground differed significantly from the Russian president’s statements.
Kostyantynivka forms part of Ukraine’s heavily fortified defensive line in the Donetsk region, much of which remains occupied by Russian forces.
In its latest military update, Russia’s defence ministry said it had intercepted more than 500 Ukrainian drones and missiles launched overnight and into Saturday morning. The ministry accused Kyiv of attempting to divert attention from recent Russian attacks on Kyiv and what it called Ukrainian failures on the battlefield.
Russian officials warned that attacks on civilian infrastructure inside Russia would not go unanswered, raising concerns that the conflict could escalate further in the coming days.
