Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia, striking oil terminals in St. Petersburg and killing at least one person. The attack occurred amid deepening tensions between Kyiv and Washington over sanctions and an alleged energy ceasefire.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia on Sunday, setting oil facilities ablaze in St. Petersburg and marking one of Kyiv’s largest aerial strikes of the war. The attack killed at least one person and injured five others, according to St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov.
The drone barrage targeted the Petersburg Oil Terminal, the Ruchi oil depot, and industrial warehouses in the Kolpinsky district south of St. Petersburg. Governor Beglov stated that firefighters were battling the resulting fires and that several residential buildings and two houses were also hit. The attack disrupted flights at St. Petersburg’s main airport, which restricted operations "for safety reasons," Beglov said.
In the broader Leningrad region, Governor Alexander Drozdenko reported that 145 drones were shot down and approximately 20,000 people were left without electricity. Two transformer substations were struck in Yanino, according to ABC News. Russian e-commerce company Ozon confirmed a fire at its logistics hub in St. Petersburg, while internet company VK said drones attacked its data center in the Leningrad region, noting that normal services remained available to users.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense stated that its forces neutralized 1,015 Ukrainian drones overnight over 15 Russian regions, the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, and the Black Sea. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency Tass that Kyiv was "resisting" Moscow’s invasion but could not "change the current course of events."
The strikes occurred as tensions between Kyiv and Washington deepened. U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil infrastructure and defended his decision to hold off on implementing new sanctions against Moscow. In a social media post, Trump said he did not want to do anything that would "foolishly" drive Moscow "away from the bargaining table."
Trump also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for launching strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, claiming Zelenskyy "doesn’t want to end this war." Trump had previously announced on October 11 that Russia and Ukraine agreed to an "energy ceasefire," though he offered no details. Zelenskyy stated on X that Russia had attacked Ukraine’s energy, oil, and gas sectors 76 times in the week since that announcement.
Speaking on NBC’s "Meet the Press," Zelenskyy said waiving sanctions against Russia would strengthen Putin’s war effort. He noted that U.S.-Ukraine intelligence sharing had resumed after being "blocked for some period of time." Zelenskyy also spoke with U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about the results of an October 9 meeting between negotiating teams in Miami.
While Ukraine struck Russian targets, Russian forces continued attacks on Ukrainian territory. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that a Russian air strike killed a woman in Kyiv and injured three others, damaging a 25-storey residential building and a subway station. In Zaporizhzhia, local officials said two Russian attacks killed a woman and wounded at least two others, including a six-year-old girl.
Zelenskyy reported that energy facilities in four Ukrainian regions were struck overnight, leaving tens of thousands of families without power. He accused Russia of trying to "cause a blackout" and stated, "America should see that Russia is not taking any reciprocal steps in response to sanctions relief or agreements."
The scale of the drone attack highlights Ukraine’s continued capacity to strike deep into Russian territory despite diplomatic pressure from the United States. The incident underscores the fragility of the alleged "energy ceasefire" and the widening rift between Kyiv and Washington over the strategy to end the war, particularly regarding sanctions and negotiations with Moscow.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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