Blaze at St Petersburg oil sites as Kyiv launches more than 1,000 drones at Russia

An oil export terminal in St. Petersburg was set ablaze on Sunday by Ukrainian forces, marking one of the largest drone strikes ever launched against Russian territory. The attack, which saw over 1,000 drones launched across Russia, was one of the most extensive aerial bombardments in recent times.

The incident occurred amidst escalating tensions between Ukraine and the United States, with U.S. President Donald Trump expressing criticism towards Kyiv for the strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. Tragically, the attack resulted in one fatality and five injuries, as reported by local Governor Alexander Beglov.

The blaze sparked fires at both the Petersburg Oil Terminal and the city's Ruchi oil depot. In addition to the oil facilities, a logistics center belonging to the Russian retailer Ozon and a data center for the local tech giant VK were also targeted. Both companies confirmed the targeted locations.

In response, Russia's defense ministry claimed to have destroyed 1,015 Ukrainian drones over 15 Russian regions, including the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and the Black Sea. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented that Kyiv was "resisting" Moscow's invasion, yet acknowledged that Ukraine could not change the current course of events. Meanwhile, another woman tragically lost her life in the attack, along with at least two others.