In brief
Late on Thursday night, Ukrainian drones struck the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal and the Ruchyi oil depot, setting them ablaze and injuring five civilians. Governor Alexander Beglov confirmed a death and fires were eventually controlled, though back‑up apartments and homes sustained damage. The strike follows a pause in Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil facilities, a pause lifted after a U.S. energy deal with Russia. Russia reports having shot down more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones over the weekend, and the incident highlights growing pressure on both sides' energy supply lines ahead of the harsh winter.
Late Thursday night, a Ukrainian drone attack set fire to the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal and the Ruchyi oil depot, causing explosions that injured five civilians and claimed one life. Governor Alexander Beglov reported the facilities were on fire, but emergency crews extinguished the blaze and the terminal resumed limited operations the next day.
The assault also damaged a logistics hub owned by Ozon, Russia’s Amazon‑style retailer, and the regional data centre of VKontakte, a major Russian social network. Ozon said its centre was evacuated and was temporarily closed, while VKontakte confirmed service was restored after a brief outage.
The strike follows Ukraine’s recent decision to resume targeting Russian oil infrastructure after a three‑day pause prompted by a United States‑Russia energy ceasefire. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned the U.S. agreement effectively funneled revenue to Moscow’s war effort, sparking criticism from U.S. lawmakers.
Russia’s defence ministry said it downed more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones overnight. The country’s strategic focus on crippling Kyiv’s energy sector is a key part of its campaign, as it seeks to undermine the Ukrainian economy while maintaining domestic fuel supplies for its own war machine.
St. Petersburg, once again hit by Ukrainian fire, was the target of a drone strike in July before, underscoring the city’s vulnerability despite its distance from the frontline. The latest attack raises concerns about the ability of Russian civilians to weather an impending cold snap with reliable electricity, as ongoing raids have already left thousands in the dark.
