In brief
A Ukrainian drone strike overnight targeted two major oil facilities in St. Petersburg, inflicting a fatality and at least five injuries. In addition, the attack damaged a VKontakte data centre and an Ozon logistics hub, causing fire but no casualties at the latter. Russian authorities reported more than 1,000 drones intercepted. The incident underscores escalating cyber‑physical threats amid the Ukraine conflict.
At least one person has been killed and five injured in a midnight drone raid on St. Petersburg that struck two of the city’s oil facilities.
A St. Petersburg governor said fires were being smothered at the city’s oil terminal and the Ruchyi oil depot after the attack.
Additional targets included a logistics centre of Russia’s Amazon‑style retailer Ozon and a data centre of the social network VKontakte, both hit by the same drones.
Russian officials reported shooting down more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory during the period.
The governor also noted damage to 12 apartment blocks, two homes, a temporary closure of Pulkovo Airport and possible mobile‑internet outages.
VKontakte confirmed a drone hit its regional data centre but said services remained operational after brief outages early that morning.
Ozon said its local logistics centre was set ablaze and that employees had been evacuated; it will not accept shipments at the site for the time being.
These strikes are part of a broader campaign by Ukraine targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure and economic assets, following a temporary pause in such attacks that began after a U.S. energy‑ceasefire agreement with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Russia had struck his country’s energy sector 76 times since the easing, accusing Russia of violating the truce.
Russia’s defence ministry vowed to keep disrupting energy supplies as the war stretches into its fifth year, with over 2,700 drones, 1,700 aerial bombs and 66 missiles fired recently, most aimed at energy sites.
These escalating attacks raise concerns for civilians who may endure a harsh winter without power, following reports of large numbers of people already out of electricity.
