In brief
Late on 18 October 2026 a Ukrainian drone launched an assault on St Petersburg, striking the city’s oil terminal and a logistics centre run by Ozon. The strikes left one death, five injuries and caused fires that required emergency extinguishment. Damage extended to a Ryokyi oil depot and a data centre owned by VKontakte, the local equivalent of Facebook, as well as to several residential buildings. Russian officials reported shooting down over a thousand drones and blamed the attack on Ukrainian forces, while Ukraine maintained it was targeting economic infrastructure to curtail Russian war effort. The incident comes as Washington‑Kyiv relations strain over a controversial diesel deal and as both sides intensify strikes on each other’s energy assets.
A Ukrainian drone attack on St Petersburg early on Wednesday night destroyed the city’s oil terminal and struck a logistics hub operated by the Russian version of Amazon, Inc. The strikes caused a blaze that was later doused by emergency crews. Officials confirmed one fatality and five injuries from the incident.
Governor Alexander Beglov reported that fires were being contained at both the St Petersburg Oil Terminal and a nearby oil depot known as Ruchyi. He also said that major damage occurred to twelve apartment blocks and two private homes, and that Pulkovo Airport had to close temporarily.
The strike also hit a data centre owned by VKontakte, Russia’s dominant social network, which confirmed a drone had struck its regional facility but reported that service remained available for users after the early‑morning closure. Ozon’s logistics center suffered a firefighting raid but no staff injury was reported and the company suspended all operations at that site for the time being.
The bombing is part of an ongoing escalation between Ukraine and Russia in which each side targets the other’s economic and infrastructure assets. Ukraine has recently resumed attacks on Russian oil sites after a brief pause that followed a U.S. “energy ceasefire” agreement drawn up last week. The U.S. also temporarily lifted some sanctions on Russia in a deal that involves the supply of diesel, a development that has drawn criticism from Washington as well as from some allied officials.
In the hours after the strike, Russian defence forces reported shooting down more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory. The strikes and defensive responses underscore the highly volatile situation as both sides plan further energy attacks for the coming winter, raising concerns about civilian power supplies.
