Ukrainian Drone Strikes Intensify Pressure on Russian Oil Infrastructure

Ukrainian forces launched a drone strike on an oil terminal in St. Petersburg, according to Russian officials. The attack is part of Ukraine’s ongoing campaign targeting Russia’s oil infrastructure. The continuous strikes are causing a fuel crisis and increasing political pressure on the Kremlin as the war between the two countries continues into its fifth year.

Governor Alexander Beglov reported that St. Petersburg’s Kirovsky district was targeted. He added that air defenses intercepted 72 Ukrainian drones in the city and surrounding region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy termed the assault as part of Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions” on Russia. He noted that Ukrainian forces also hit a military target on Kronstadt Island, near St. Petersburg.

“The Ukrainian defense forces hit the port oil infrastructure, which earns money for the Russian war. There were also hits on Kronstadt — an important military target,” he said on Telegram.

The Kirovsky district experienced a similar attack in June, just before the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s strikes have particularly impacted the Crimean peninsula, causing local authorities to halt gasoline sales to civilians. One Ukrainian attack resulted in one death and injuries to two others, including a child, according to Moscow-appointed Governor Sergei Aksyonov.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia has minimized the impact of Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy sites, calling them “not critical.” He asserted that the war will continue until Russia fulfills its objectives, dismissing the assaults as attempts by Ukraine to deflect from battlefield losses. Analysts, however, highlight stalled advances by Russian forces in recent months.

On Friday, Putin visited military headquarters managing the Ukraine conflict and was briefed on the capture of Kostyantynivka, significant for its transport and industrial value. He portrayed the acquisition as a pivotal step towards claiming Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, key cities in the heavily fortified Donetsk region still under Ukrainian control.

Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy stated that Ukrainian troops were pushed back several kilometers, and fighting continues near Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka. He claimed full Russian control of Kostyantynivka.

“The city is now under our full control. Units of the Southern Army Group are completing the clearance of city blocks,” he stated.

Zelenskyy rejected these claims, labeling them “another Russian lie.” He remarked that if Kostyantynivka were truly in Russian hands, Putin could meet him there to negotiate peace. Zelenskyy used social media to criticize Putin’s representation of the conflict, particularly appealing to U.S. President Donald Trump on the eve of Independence Day.

Despite the ongoing fuel crisis, Putin appears confident that his regime can maintain authority and popular support. Nonetheless, the attacks are making the war more immediate for Russians, undermining Putin’s portrayal of the conflict as distant.

Belgorod, a city on Russia’s border repeatedly hit by Ukrainian drones, experienced near-total power outages following overnight strikes, local media reported. Simultaneously, a Russian assault in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region wounded eight people, including two children, according to local reports.