Ukraine Strikes Major Oil Terminal in St. Petersburg


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday that a series of long‑range drones had struck Russia’s biggest oil terminal in the north‑western city of St. Petersburg. He described it as a “key infrastructure that generates revenue for Russia’s war”.


St. Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov confirmed the city was under a massive drone assault, noting the terminal was hit but there were no casualties. He reported that 72 Ukrainian drones were shot down over the city and the wider Leningrad region.



St. Petersburg oil terminal engulfed in smoke after drone strike
St. Petersburg oil terminal, one of Russia’s largest, was damaged in the attack.


The facility produces approximately 12.5 million tonnes of petroleum products per year and is vital to Russia’s fuel supply chain. Ukraine’s military said it also struck a key naval base of the Russian Baltic Fleet in Kronstadt.


In a separate statement, Kyiv’s military spokesperson Maj Andriy Kovalyov denied that the eastern town of Kostyantynivka was fully under Russian control. He highlighted the “fortress belt” that Ukraine maintains in Donetsk while acknowledging the presence of small infiltration groups within Russian lines.


The Russian defence ministry counter‑claimed that Ukraine’s attacks were a distraction from its objectives, referencing a recent strike on Kyiv and a “catastrophic failure” at Kostyantynivka. It also warned that Ukrainian attacks on civilian facilities would not go unanswered.


The escalation comes as both sides seek to prepare for the upcoming NATO summit in Turkey. Meanwhile, Putin sent a congratulatory note to former U.S. President Donald Trump over the U.S. Independence celebrations, calling for constructive relations between the two countries.


Additional reporting by BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale in Moscow.