At least one person has been killed and five others injured in an overnight attack on St Petersburg that targeted two of the city's major oil facilities. Regional Governor Alexander Beglov reported that emergency crews were working to extinguish fires at the St Petersburg Oil Terminal and the Ruchyi oil depot following the strikes.
The assault also impacted a regional logistics hub operated by e-commerce company Ozon and a data center belonging to social network VKontakte. Kyiv has not yet issued a comment regarding the strikes on the distant Russian city, which has been targeted by Ukrainian drones on previous occasions, though regions closer to the border face threats more frequently.
Russian defense officials claimed that air defense systems intercepted more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones over national territory overnight. Governor Beglov added that the strikes damaged 12 apartment buildings and two residential homes in St Petersburg, while Pulkovo Airport was temporarily forced to close and residents faced potential mobile internet disruptions.
Representatives for VK confirmed that a drone struck its regional data center, though the company noted that services continued operating normally after initial early-morning user outages. Ozon also verified that a drone hit its local logistics center, triggering a fire that prompted a successful staff evacuation with no reported injuries. The company stated that the location was temporarily diverted from accepting seller shipments to handle other operational needs.
The latest developments unfold against a backdrop of intensified mutual strikes on energy infrastructure as the conflict stretches into its fifth year. Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil facilities are intended to restrict the primary financial lifeline supporting Moscow's military campaign. Meanwhile, Russian bombardments targeting Ukrainian energy grids have left hundreds of thousands without electricity, compounding humanitarian concerns as winter approaches.