Russia Oil Terminal: Ukraine Strikes Major Fuel Facility in St Petersburg

ST PETERSBURG: Russia Oil Terminal infrastructure came under attack overnight after Ukraine launched long-range drone strikes on a major fuel facility in St Petersburg, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.

Zelensky said the operation targeted infrastructure that generates revenue for Russia’s war effort. He added that the strikes also hit a major Russian naval base in the St Petersburg region.

St Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov confirmed that the city faced a “massive” drone attack. He acknowledged that the oil terminal was struck but said no casualties were reported.

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Ukraine has recently intensified long-range drone attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure. Kyiv claims the campaign has disabled nearly 43% of Russia’s oil refining capacity, although independent sources have not verified the figure.

Ukraine argues that Russian oil and gas facilities are legitimate military targets because Moscow depends heavily on fossil fuel exports to finance its war.

President Vladimir Putin recently acknowledged that Ukrainian attacks had contributed to fuel shortages in Russia. On Saturday, he signed legislation aimed at increasing domestic fuel supplies.

According to Zelensky, the targets in St Petersburg and nearby areas were about 850 kilometres from Ukraine’s border. A video released by the Ukrainian president appeared to show a drone approaching its target before thick black smoke rose into the sky.

Ukraine’s military described the oil terminal as one of Russia’s largest petroleum facilities, with an annual production capacity of 12.5 million tonnes of petroleum products.

The military also claimed that drones struck a key naval base of Russia’s Baltic Fleet in Kronstadt. However, Russian authorities have not confirmed that attack.

Governor Beglov said Russian air defences intercepted 72 Ukrainian drones over St Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad region. He also urged residents to remain indoors until the threat ended and warned that mobile internet services could face temporary disruptions.

Meanwhile, fighting continued in eastern Ukraine. Kyiv rejected Russian claims that its forces had captured the strategic town of Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region.

Ukrainian military spokesman Major Andriy Kovalyov said Kostyantynivka remained under Ukrainian control. He admitted that small Russian infantry groups had entered parts of the area but said Ukrainian forces were locating and eliminating them.

President Putin claimed on Friday that Russian troops had established control over the town. However, he did not provide evidence to support the statement.

Later, Zelensky dismissed the claim and accused Putin of misleading the international community about conditions on the battlefield.

Russia’s Defence Ministry also said its forces intercepted more than 500 Ukrainian drones and missiles launched overnight. It warned that attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure would receive a response.

The latest escalation comes ahead of next week’s NATO summit in Turkey, where the conflict in Ukraine is expected to remain a key topic of discussion.