Ukraine launched one of its boldest long-range attacks yet, sending waves of drones nearly 900 kilometers into Russia to strike targets around St. Petersburg, the home city of President Vladimir Putin, according to Al Jazeera News. The overnight operation hit an oil terminal, a Baltic Sea port, and reportedly a key naval base, marking a rare breach deep inside Russian territory.
Local officials said air defenses shot down dozens of drones, but some still reached their targets. One drone fell near the historic Peterhof Palace complex, while another struck an oil facility in the Kirovsky district. Debris was also reported near the port of Vysotsk, close to the Finnish border. Authorities temporarily shut down flights at Pulkovo Airport and limited mobile internet access to disrupt drone navigation systems.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strikes were aimed at weakening Russia’s war effort by targeting oil infrastructure and military sites. Ukraine’s military claims the campaign has significantly damaged Russia’s refining capacity, though independent analysts suggest the impact is somewhat lower. Still, the repeated attacks have led to fuel shortages inside Russia, forcing the government to restrict fuel exports and sales in several regions.
Russia reported intercepting hundreds of drones across the country overnight, while also acknowledging casualties in border regions. Meanwhile, Russian forces carried out their own strikes, hitting a gas production facility in Ukraine’s Poltava region and causing a fire that halted operations. Ukrainian officials warned that such attacks could disrupt preparations for the winter heating season.
Fighting continues on multiple fronts. Moscow claimed it had captured the eastern town of Kostiantynivka, but Ukraine denied the claim, saying battles are ongoing. The latest escalation follows deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv and other cities earlier in the week.
As the conflict intensifies, international attention is turning to an upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, where leaders are expected to pledge major new military support for Ukraine.
