Ukraine Strikes Oil and Military Sites Near St Petersburg

Ukrainian drone operations on Thursday caused widespread disruptions in Russia’s second‑largest city, temporarily knocking out internet services and forcing the cancellation of several domestic flights at Pulkovo Airport. The unmanned aerial vehicles, launched from Kyiv‑controlled territory, were reported to have entered the airspace over St Petersburg before being intercepted by Russian air defenses, a spokesperson for the city’s emergency services said. The brief outage affected mobile and broadband networks across the metropolitan area, while airline officials cited safety concerns for grounding aircraft until the airspace was cleared.

In a separate incident, Russian forces intensified their campaign in central Ukraine, striking a major gas processing facility near the city of Poltava. The attack, which involved precision artillery and aerial bombardment, halted production at the plant and prompted an emergency shutdown of associated pipelines. Ukrainian authorities confirmed that the facility’s output was temporarily suspended, though no casualties were reported. Both events underscore the escalating targeting of critical infrastructure amid the ongoing conflict, highlighting the broader impact on civilian services and energy supplies in the region.