Ukraine hits oil and military facilities near Russia’s St Petersburg
✓Kyiv’s drones disrupt St Petersburg internet and flights as Russian strikes halt a gas facility in central Ukraine.
A wave of Ukrainian long-range drones has struck the St Petersburg region overnight, hitting an oil terminal and a Baltic Sea port in one of the largest deep-strike operations targeting President Vladimir Putin’s home city.
Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said air defences shot down 72 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the region on Saturday.
The operation, conducted approximately 900km (560 miles) from Ukrainian-held territory, triggered widespread local disruptions.
Russian authorities briefly halted flight operations at Pulkovo Airport and throttled municipal mobile internet networks to jam the drones’ cellular-backed navigation systems.
St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said that one drone crashed in the grounds of the 18th-century Peterhof Palace complex, and another hit an oil terminal in the city’s Kirovsky district.
Regional officials said debris struck an oil terminal, a nearby port and a historic palace complex. Drozdenko added that drone debris fell near the port of Vysotsk, close to the Finnish border, without giving a casualty toll.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said 389 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted overnight nationwide, but confirmed strikes only in the wider Leningrad region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had struck oil infrastructure funding Russia’s war effort and also hit the Kronstadt naval base in St Petersburg, calling it “an important military target”.
On Saturday, Ukraine’s General Staff claimed its strikes had disabled 42.74 percent of Russia’s oil refining capacity as of early July, reporting eight refineries hit over the past month and more than 60 storage tanks destroyed or damaged.
It put cumulative industry losses at $13.5bn since August 2025.
Independent energy analysts estimate the functional disruption to be closer to one-third of Russia’s capacity.
The campaign has triggered domestic fuel shortages, prompting Moscow to extend petrol export bans and implement fuel sale restrictions across more than 40 regions and annexed Crimea.
Putin acknowledged last Sunday that the attacks were causing a fuel shortage, though he described it as “not critical” and said damaged facilities were being repaired quickly.
Meanwhile, Russia on Saturday struck a gas production facility with a drone in the central Poltava region, causing a fire, Ukrainian state energy firm Naftogaz said.
“A fire broke out at the site after the attack. Operations at the facility have been suspended,” Naftogaz said on Telegram. “The enemy is systematically targeting gas production facilities in an attempt to reduce Ukraine’s domestic output and complicate preparations for the heating season,” it added.
The strikes came days after a Russian attack on Kyiv killed 30 people, part of an intensifying exchange. At least four people were killed and 27 injured when Russian forces struck the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy with glide bombs on Friday, regional officials said, adding that people remained trapped in the rubble of a residential building.
Read the full story at Al Jazeera ↗ · BBC ↗
Ukrainian long-range drones conducted strikes in the St Petersburg region overnight, hitting an oil terminal, port facilities, and the Kronstadt naval base approximately 900km from Ukrainian-held territory. Russian authorities reported intercepting 72 UAVs over the Leningrad region and implemented local countermeasures including temporary flight suspensions and internet throttling. Regional officials confirmed drone debris struck an oil terminal in the Kirovsky district, port facilities near Vysotsk, and the Peterhof Palace grounds. Russia's Defence Ministry stated 389 Ukrainian drones were intercepted nationwide. Ukraine's General Staff reports eight refineries hit over the past month with cumulative losses estimated at $13.5 billion since August 2025; independent energy analysts place functional disruption at approximately one-third of Russia's refining capacity. The campaign has prompted fuel shortages across 40+ Russian regions. In response, Russia struck a gas production facility in Ukraine's Poltava region on Saturday, suspending operations. These strikes occur amid escalating military operations.
Read the full story at Al Jazeera ↗ · BBC ↗
Kyiv’s drones disrupt St Petersburg internet and flights as Russian strikes halt a gas facility in central Ukraine.
A wave of Ukrainian long-range drones has struck the St Petersburg region overnight, hitting an oil terminal and a Baltic Sea port in one of the largest deep-strike operations targeting President Vladimir Putin’s home city.
Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said air defences shot down 72 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the region on Saturday.
The operation, conducted approximately 900km (560 miles) from Ukrainian-held territory, triggered widespread local disruptions.
Russian authorities briefly halted flight operations at Pulkovo Airport and throttled municipal mobile internet networks to jam the drones’ cellular-backed navigation systems.
St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said that one drone crashed in the grounds of the 18th-century Peterhof Palace complex, and another hit an oil terminal in the city’s Kirovsky district.
Regional officials said debris struck an oil terminal, a nearby port and a historic palace complex. Drozdenko added that drone debris fell near the port of Vysotsk, close to the Finnish border, without giving a casualty toll.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said 389 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted overnight nationwide, but confirmed strikes only in the wider Leningrad region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had struck oil infrastructure funding Russia’s war effort and also hit the Kronstadt naval base in St Petersburg, calling it “an important military target”.
On Saturday, Ukraine’s General Staff claimed its strikes had disabled 42.74 percent of Russia’s oil refining capacity as of early July, reporting eight refineries hit over the past month and more than 60 storage tanks destroyed or damaged.
It put cumulative industry losses at $13.5bn since August 2025.
Independent energy analysts estimate the functional disruption to be closer to one-third of Russia’s capacity.
The campaign has triggered domestic fuel shortages, prompting Moscow to extend petrol export bans and implement fuel sale restrictions across more than 40 regions and annexed Crimea.
Putin acknowledged last Sunday that the attacks were causing a fuel shortage, though he described it as “not critical” and said damaged facilities were being repaired quickly.
Meanwhile, Russia on Saturday struck a gas production facility with a drone in the central Poltava region, causing a fire, Ukrainian state energy firm Naftogaz said.
“A fire broke out at the site after the attack. Operations at the facility have been suspended,” Naftogaz said on Telegram. “The enemy is systematically targeting gas production facilities in an attempt to reduce Ukraine’s domestic output and complicate preparations for the heating season,” it added.
The strikes came days after a Russian attack on Kyiv killed 30 people, part of an intensifying exchange. At least four people were killed and 27 injured when Russian forces struck the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy with glide bombs on Friday, regional officials said, adding that people remained trapped in the rubble of a residential building.
Read the full story at Al Jazeera ↗ · BBC ↗
Ukrainian drones struck the St Petersburg region overnight, hitting an oil terminal and port facilities approximately 900km from Ukrainian-held territory Russian air defences reported intercepting 72 UAVs over the Leningrad region Russian authorities temporarily halted flight operations at Pulkovo Airport and throttled municipal mobile internet networks Drone debris struck an oil terminal in the Kirovsky district, port facilities near Vysotsk, and the Peterhof Palace grounds Russia's Defence Ministry stated 389 Ukrainian drones were intercepted nationwide Ukraine's General Staff claims 42.74% of Russia's oil refining capacity has been disabled as of early July Independent energy analysts estimate functional disruption at closer to one-third of Russia's refining capacity Cumulative oil industry losses are estimated at $13.5 billion since August 2025 The campaign has triggered fuel shortages prompting Moscow to extend petrol export bans and implement restrictions across 40+ regions Russia struck a gas production facility in Ukraine's Poltava region on Saturday, causing a fire and operational suspension Ukrainian President Zelenskyy characterized the strikes as targeting oil infrastructure funding Russia's war effort and military targets
Read the full story at Al Jazeera ↗ · BBC ↗
- Ukrainian drones struck oil infrastructure and military facilities near St Petersburg in a long-range operation approximately 900km from Ukrainian territory
- Russian air defences reported intercepting 72 UAVs over the Leningrad region; local disruptions included temporary flight halts and internet throttling
- Ukraine's General Staff claims 42.74% of Russia's oil refining capacity has been disabled since early July; independent analysts estimate closer to one-third
- Russia struck a gas production facility in Ukraine's Poltava region on Saturday, causing operational suspension
- The strikes are part of an intensifying exchange following a Russian attack on Kyiv that killed 30 people days earlier