Russian officials announced Saturday that a significant overnight Ukrainian drone assault targeted Russia’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg, and the surrounding Leningrad region, with reports of a strike on a Baltic Sea oil export port.
St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov described the attack on the city of 6 million residents as “large-scale,” though he did not identify specific targets. Local media outlet Bumaga reported that a fire broke out at the city’s oil terminal following the attack.
Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed that drones struck the port of Vysotsk, located approximately 170 kilometers — about 105 miles — northwest of St. Petersburg along the Gulf of Finland. That port handles a variety of commodities, including oil, grain, coal, and liquefied natural gas. Drozdenko added that 72 drones were intercepted and shot down over the Leningrad region.
Ukraine has been stepping up attacks on Russian energy facilities throughout this year, a campaign that has led to fuel shortages in various parts of Russia.
St. Petersburg sits roughly 900 kilometers, or 560 miles, from Ukrainian-controlled territory, yet it has faced periodic drone strikes from Kyiv. Previous targets have included the city’s oil terminal and a docked warship, the latter struck during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum held in June.
