Ukrainian UAV hits Russian oil port in St. Petersburg

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 4 that the country’s forces conducted coordinated attacks using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on oil infrastructure at the port in St. Petersburg and a military facility in Kronstadt, Russia.

“Last night’s attack hit the oil infrastructure at the port, which generates revenue for the Russian campaign, as well as an important military target in Kronstadt,” Mr. Zelensky said, adding that the targets were located more than 850 km from the Ukrainian border.

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SOF) Command confirmed that its UAVs attacked the St. Petersburg. Several UAVs successfully approached the target, causing a fire at the facility.

St. Oil Terminal Petersburg is one of the main hubs in the Baltic region for the export of Russian petroleum products, with an annual processing capacity of approximately 12.5 million tons. Petroleum products from this port are exported to Africa and the Middle East.

Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov confirmed that an oil depot in the city’s Kirovsk district was attacked and that “technical problems have been resolved”.

Mr. Beglov added that Russian air defense forces shot down 72 UAVs, including one that fell on Peterhof Palace, but did not cause any casualties or damage. Peterhof Palace is a vast estate of gardens and palaces built in the 18th century under Russian Tsar Peter I.

According to Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko, debris from the downed UAV also fell in the Vysotsk port area, north of St. Petersburg and near the border with Finland.

Ukraine is increasing attacks deep inside Russian territory, within the framework of a “40-day long-range sanctions campaign” to pressure Moscow to accept negotiations.

Ukraine’s UAV attacks have caused fuel shortages in Russia, forcing the country to seek ways to import gasoline. President Vladimir Putin has called on the military to improve its air defense system and make efforts to overcome fuel shortages.