Ukraine's biggest strike on St. Petersburg exposes Russian air defense flaws — ISW

Ukraine executed its largest deep strike on Saint Petersburg since 2022, exposing persistent flaws in Russian air defense systems, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Ukrainian forces targeted critical Russian infrastructure, including energy, logistical, and digital assets across Leningrad Oblast, with a heavy focus on Saint Petersburg's maritime and transit routes.

Geolocated footage from ISW analysts verified direct hits on key targets, such as the Petersburg Oil Terminal, 856 km (532 miles) from the Ukrainian border, and an Ozon logistics warehouse, 844 km (524 miles) away. The strikes also damaged a major cable-stayed bridge along the Western High-Speed Diameter (WHSD), a crucial highway corridor connecting northern and southern Saint Petersburg.

ISW analysts emphasized that the October 17-18 strikes demonstrated ongoing command-and-control issues and highlighted Russian air defenses' vulnerabilities. A VKontakte (VK) data center was successfully neutralized, leading to system-wide disruptions across Russian online services. Ukrainian forces used domestic FP-1 long-range strike drones to ignite a major fire at the Petersburg Oil Terminal, which handles an annual throughput capacity of 12.5 million metric tons.

Russian claims of intercepting 145 drones were challenged, as a strike on the Vostochnaya electrical substation resulted in power outages for over 20,000 residents.