Russian emergency crews battled blazes across St. Petersburg on Sunday following a sweeping drone attack that struck oil infrastructure, a major data center, and e-commerce logistics hubs. The early morning strikes targeted the Ruchyi oil depot, a local oil terminal, and a data center housing servers for VK, Russia’s equivalent to Facebook, according to the independent Russian outlet Astra.
St. Petersburg oil terminals and VK datacenter hit by drones
The assault on St. Petersburg left one person dead and five hospitalized, according to city Alexander Beglov. Local officials confirmed the casualty figures alongside reports of extensive material damage. A logistics hub operated by e-commerce giant Ozon was also struck, state-controlled agency RIA noted, while an eight-lane highway bridge sustained damage of yet undetermined scale.
The incoming drones disrupted local transit hubs, forcing Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg to temporarily halt operations and evacuate passengers and staff. The VK data center, which powers the VKontakte social media platform, was hit during the barrage, although Reuters reported that its services continued to function as normal.
Russian military claims over 1,000 drones shot down
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have intercepted 1,015 Ukrainian drones across the country overnight, a figure reported by RIA that approaches the record 1,110 drones claimed shot down on September 20. A differing regional tally was cited from Leningrad-region Aleksandr Drozdenko, who stated that the Russian military shot down 126 drones over that specific region. Neither total has been independently verified.
The statewide offensive extended beyond St. Petersburg, reaching regions such as Rjasan, where an oil refinery accounting for nearly 5 percent of Russia’s total oil refining capacity caught fire on Thursday. That refinery strike marked the first hit on a Russian energy asset since the announcement of a proposed energy ceasefire.
Zelenskyy’s vow and Trump’s response to energy strikes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj told the Financial Times that Kyiv had “had enough” and would resume aerial attacks on Russian soil in response to ongoing Kremlin strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Zelenskyj stated that Ukraine had paused its attacks on Russian oil refineries for three days to test a proposed ceasefire, but restarted them after Moscow continued targeting Ukrainian power grids.
U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the renewed Ukrainian strikes, telling Newsmax that he considered them “a shame,” while maintaining that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been easier to negotiate with than Zelenskyj.
Questions about the St. Petersburg drone attacks
How many casualties were reported in St. Petersburg?
Local authorities confirmed that one person was killed and five others were hospitalized following the drone strikes.
Which specific facilities were hit in the city?
The strikes hit the Ruchyi oil depot, an oil terminal, a VK data center, an Ozon e-commerce logistics center, and an eight-lane highway bridge.
Was commercial aviation affected by the strikes?
Yes, Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg temporarily suspended operations and evacuated all passengers and staff.
Regional air defense forces reported intercepting 126 drones over the Leningrad region, according to Aleksandr Drozdenko.
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