Ukrainian Drones Strike Russian Oil Depot, Hit St. Petersburg Ports | WPN World People News

Ukraine launched a large-scale long-range drone assault early Saturday, targeting military and energy facilities in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, and the neighboring Leningrad Region. St. Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov confirmed that the city of around six million people had come under a "massive" attack and said an oil terminal was struck, though no casualties were reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that a major oil storage and transshipment terminal, along with a key naval base of Russia's Baltic Fleet, had been hit. He said both sites were critical infrastructure generating revenue to support Russia's war effort. Ukraine has continued its drone campaign in an effort to deepen Russia's domestic fuel shortage.

Beglov said the overnight drone attack caused no reported casualties. He added that Russian air defenses shot down 72 Ukrainian drones over St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. Residents were urged to remain indoors until air raid alerts were lifted, while warning that mobile internet services could be disrupted. The governor of the Leningrad Region also said a drone struck an area near the Port of Vysotsk, about 170 kilometers northwest of St. Petersburg. The port is a major hub for handling oil, grain, coal, and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

On the eastern front, Russia's military claimed it had captured the strategic town of Kostiantynivka. However, President Zelensky and Ukraine's military chief firmly rejected the claim, insisting that the town remains under full Ukrainian control.

Zelensky said Ukraine's Defense Forces successfully struck port oil infrastructure that finances Russia's war effort, as well as the military stronghold of Kronstadt, one of the Russian Navy's most important bases. Russian authorities have not confirmed whether the base sustained any damage. Kyiv also claimed that drone strikes have now disabled nearly 43% of Russia's oil refining capacity.

Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure this year in an effort to weaken Moscow's ability to sustain the war. Fuel shortages have begun emerging in several parts of Russia. In Gatchina, located in the Leningrad Region, long lines of vehicles were seen waiting at gas stations, while some stations reportedly ran out of fuel altogether.