Ukraine launched a major overnight drone attack on St Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad region, Russian officials said on Saturday, striking a Baltic Sea port that handles oil exports.
The attack came after two days of heavy Russian strikes on Kyiv, where at least 30 people were killed.
St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said the city had come under a “large-scale” drone attack. He did not identify specific targets, but local media outlet Bumaga reported a fire at the city’s oil terminal.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed Ukraine carried out the attacks.
Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said drones had hit the port of Vysotsk, about 170 kilometres northwest of St Petersburg on the Gulf of Finland. The port handles oil, grain, coal and liquefied natural gas.
Drozdenko said 72 drones were shot down over the Leningrad region.
Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian energy infrastructure this year, contributing to fuel shortages in parts of Russia.
St Petersburg, located about 900 kilometres from Ukrainian-held territory, has occasionally been targeted by Ukrainian drones. Previous targets have included the city’s oil terminal and a moored warship during the St Petersburg International Economic Forum in June.
