Ukrainian drones strike major oil terminal and port in Russia's St. Petersburg

Ukrainian forces reportedly launched a significant drone attack on Russia's St. Petersburg region on July 4, 2026, targeting a major oil terminal within the city and port infrastructure in the wider Leningrad oblast. St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov confirmed a "large-scale" drone assault on the city's oil terminal, reporting no casualties but indicating that the aftermath was addressed.

The extensive overnight operation also impacted the port of Vysotsk, located northwest of St. Petersburg, which handles oil, grain, coal, and liquefied natural gas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly acknowledged the strikes, framing them as "long-range sanctions" against Russia, aimed at port oil infrastructure generating revenue for the war and military targets like the Kronstadt naval base. Russian authorities stated that air defenses intercepted numerous drones across the region, with President Vladimir Putin downplaying the energy facility strikes as "not critical."

This incident marks a notable escalation in Ukraine's strategy of targeting Russian energy infrastructure, an ongoing campaign that has intensified throughout the year and has reportedly caused fuel shortages in various parts of Russia.