Ukraine struck a major oil terminal in Russia’s north-western city of St Petersburg overnight, Volodymyr Zelensky has said, describing the attack as targeting key “infrastructure that generates revenue for Russia’s war”. The Ukrainian president also confirmed that a major Russian naval base in the region was hit, as Kyiv intensifies its long-range drone campaign against Moscow’s critical energy infrastructure.
St Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov admitted the oil terminal was hit during what he called a “massive” drone attack, but said there had been no casualties. Beglov urged the city’s more than five million residents to stay indoors until the threat was over and warned that mobile internet services may have been disrupted. He said 72 Ukrainian drones had been shot down over the city and the wider Leningrad region.
“Ukraine hit a major oil terminal in St Petersburg, targeting infrastructure that funds Russia's war effort.”
Ukraine’s military described the terminal as “one of the largest” in Russia, capable of producing 12.5 million tonnes of petroleum products per year. A video posted by Zelensky showed a drone flying towards its target and a huge column of black smoke billowing from the area after the strike. The BBC later verified that St Petersburg’s oil terminal had been hit. Ukraine also said it struck a key naval base of the Russian Baltic Fleet in Kronstadt, which Moscow has not publicly commented on.
The attack comes as Ukraine has recently intensified long-range drone strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure, causing widespread fuel shortages. Kyiv says nearly 43% of Russia’s oil refining capacity has been “disabled” as a result. The BBC has not independently verified this figure. Ukraine argues that Russian oil and gas facilities are legitimate targets because Moscow relies heavily on fossil fuel exports to finance its full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who last week made a rare admission that fuel shortages had been caused by Ukrainian attacks, on Saturday signed into law a bill aimed at boosting supplies to the domestic fuel market. Zelensky said the targets hit in St Petersburg and the surrounding region were about 850km (528 miles) from Ukraine’s border.
In a separate development, Ukraine’s military denied that the key eastern Ukrainian town of Kostyantynivka was now under full Russian control. Military spokesman Maj Andriy Kovalyov told the BBC that “Kostyantynivka remains under the control of the Defence Forces of…” Zelensky also dismissed Vladimir Putin’s claims that Russian forces had taken the city, suggesting the Russian president was welcome to meet him there for peace talks. But with Russian fuel shortages deepening and Ukraine pressing its advantage, the prospect of negotiations remains distant.