St. Petersburg oil terminal and bridge struck in massive drone attack

A wave of Ukrainian drones struck critical infrastructure across St. Petersburg and the wider Leningrad region overnight on 18 October, igniting fuel storage tanks, damaging key transit routes, and forcing the temporary closure of the city's main airport.

The overnight assault, which began shortly before 3:00 a.m. local time, marked one of the deepest and most expansive strikes against Russia's second-largest city since the conflict began. Air defences fired across the metropolitan area as explosions lit the skyline more than 850 kilometres north of the Ukrainian frontier.

What was hit across the city

Emergency crews were dispatched to multiple blazes across St. Petersburg after aerial strikes penetrated local airspace. The primary target was the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal, a sprawling Baltic export and bunkering hub with an annual throughput capacity of 12.5 million tonnes.

Local authorities and monitoring groups confirmed direct impacts at several industrial and civil sites:

St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov stated that fires broke out at facilities across the Nevsky, Krasnoselsky, Krasnogvardeysky, and Moskovsky districts. Beyond the port facilities, an eight-lane, 620-metre cable-stayed bridge over the Korabelny Fairway—part of the toll motorway connecting the city's northern and southern sections—was struck by at least one drone. The full extent of structural damage to the crossing remains under assessment.

Air defence operations and local disruption

Regional authorities offered varying accounts of the defensive response. Leningrad Oblast Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko said that air defence units, operating Pantsir and long-range S-300 and S-400 missile systems, downed between 126 and 127 drones across the territory. Falling debris damaged several parked vehicles and triggered localized fires.

In the Leningrad region, social media operator VK confirmed that a company data centre sustained an attack, though it maintained that its online platform continued normal operations despite widespread user outage reports on monitoring services. Astra, a Russian opposition outlet, reported strikes against an electrical substation, resulting in rolling blackouts, low municipal water pressure, and damage to a residential apartment block.

Operations at Pulkovo Airport were suspended shortly after 2:00 a.m., with inbound flights diverted and departures halted until air warnings subsided. Road closures were implemented along several thoroughfares surrounding the affected port and industrial districts.

Expanding strike range

Ukrainian drone manufacturer Fire Point claimed that its FP-1 long-range attack model was deployed against the oil terminal during the operation. The Baltic hub had previously sustained damage during an overnight attack on 4 July, reflecting a sustained effort to target Russian refining, logistics, and data infrastructure far beyond the active frontline.

Russian federal authorities have not released an official casualty count, and emergency services continue work to contain industrial fires across the port area.