In a dramatic escalation of its long-range campaign, Ukraine launched a massive drone attack on a key oil terminal near St. Petersburg overnight, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Saturday. The strike, which targeted one of Russia’s largest petroleum facilities, marks a significant blow to Moscow’s energy infrastructure and its ability to fund the ongoing war.
Zelensky described the facility as critical “infrastructure that generates revenue for Russia’s war,” noting the target lies roughly 850 kilometers from Ukraine’s border. Video footage released by the Ukrainian president shows a drone streaking toward the terminal, followed by a towering plume of black smoke. Ukraine’s military said the terminal produces 12.5 million metric tons of petroleum products annually, making it a linchpin of Russia’s fuel supply chain. The military also claimed a major naval base of the Russian Baltic Fleet in Kronstadt was hit, though Moscow has not publicly addressed that assertion.
St. Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov acknowledged the attack, calling it a “massive” drone assault that struck the oil terminal. He reported no casualties but said 72 Ukrainian drones were shot down over the city and the surrounding Leningrad region. Beglov urged residents to stay indoors until the threat subsides and warned that mobile internet services may be disrupted. St. Petersburg, home to over five million people, is Russia’s second-largest city and a key economic hub.
The strike is part of a broader Ukrainian effort to cripple Russia’s energy sector, which Kyiv views as a legitimate military target. Ukraine claims nearly 43% of Russia’s oil refining capacity has been “disabled” due to sustained attacks, though this figure has not been independently verified. The campaign has already caused widespread fuel shortages inside Russia, leading President Vladimir Putin to make a rare admission of the problem last week. On Saturday, Putin signed a bill aimed at boosting domestic fuel supplies, a move widely seen as a response to growing economic strain.
In a related development, Ukraine’s military denied that the key eastern town of Kostyantynivka has fallen to Russian forces. Major Andriy Kovalyov told the BBC that the town “remains under the control of the Defence Forces of Ukraine,” pushing back against reports of a Russian breakthrough. As the war enters its fifth year, Ukraine continues to leverage drone technology to strike deep inside Russian territory, shifting the battlefield dynamics and putting pressure on Moscow’s war machine.