Ukraine Strikes St. Petersburg After Russia Hits Energy Grid
Ukraine launched massive drone strikes on St. Petersburg infrastructure following a week of Russian attacks on Ukrainian power plants and a diplomatic rift with Donald Trump.
The Russian Armed Forces launched a large-scale aerial assault on Ukraine on October 17, deploying 332 drones and various ballistic and cruise missiles. Ukrainian air defenses neutralized 293 targets, but strikes hit 22 locations. President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russia attacked Ukraine's energy, oil, and gas infrastructure 76 times over the past week, targeting electrical substations in regions including Odesa and Vinnytsia to create a blackout before winter.
In retaliation, Ukraine launched a massive drone strike on St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region on October 17-18. The attack targeted the Saint Petersburg Oil Terminal, the Ruchyi oil depot, a VK data center, and an Ozon logistics hub. Governor Alexander Beglov reported one death and five injuries, while Governor Alexander Drozdenko noted that 20,000 people lost electricity. The strikes also disrupted operations at Pulkovo International Airport, causing hundreds of flight delays.
This escalation follows a diplomatic rift between President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump recently signed an executive order waiving sanctions on Russian energy to lower U.S. fuel prices and claimed an energy ceasefire had been reached. Zelensky rejected the ceasefire, stating that pressure on Russia is necessary to stop attacks on Ukrainian power plants. He declared that the block on attacking Russian refineries is over, arguing that weakening pressure on the aggressor only encourages further attacks.
