Ukrainian Drone Attack on Major Oil Terminal in St. Petersburg
Summary:
- Ukrainian forces have attacked a major oil terminal in Russia's northwestern city of St. Petersburg with drones.
- Ukrainian President Zelensky called the oil terminal a key infrastructure for generating revenue for Russia's war operations.
- The governor of St. Petersburg confirmed damage to the oil terminal but said there were no casualties.
Kyiv. Ukrainian forces last night attacked a major oil terminal in Russia's northwestern city of St. Petersburg with drones, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Zelensky called the oil terminal a key infrastructure for generating revenue for Russia's war operations. Ukraine also claimed to have targeted a major Russian naval base in the St. Petersburg region.
Meanwhile, St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov acknowledged a large-scale drone attack on the city and confirmed damage to the oil terminal. However, no casualties were reported. In recent months, Ukraine has intensified long-range drone attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure. Ukraine claims these attacks have caused widespread fuel supply problems in Russia.
According to the Ukrainian side, its forces have disabled about 43 percent of Russia's oil refining capacity so far. However, this claim has not been independently confirmed. Ukraine has stated that Russian oil and gas infrastructure are legitimate military targets. According to them, Russia has been using revenue from fossil fuel exports to continue its full-scale invasion of Ukraine since February 2022.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin last week for the first time since the start of the war acknowledged fuel shortages due to Ukrainian attacks. On Saturday, he signed a new law aimed at increasing fuel supply to the domestic market.
