Drones attack oil depot in St. Petersburg

On the night of January 18, Ukrainian drones attacked an oil depot in the Leningrad Oblast, Russia. 

According to a source in the intelligence services, this operation was conducted by the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, the Ukrainian Pravda reported.

"This is a Defense Intelligence operation involving modern Ukrainian weapons. Data collection is ongoing, and confirmed hits on targets have been reported. Military facilities in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Oblast are now within reach of Ukrainian forces," the publication said.

When asked if Ukrainian drones had previously attacked the Leningrad Oblast, the UP source replied, "Not the first time, but there are differences, and the enemy felt them."

On January 18, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that drones attacked the Moscow and Leningrad Oblasts. Propagandist narratives assure that fragments of the drone fell on an oil terminal in St. Petersburg.

However, BAZA reported that only three UAVs were launched: two of them were jammed by EW [Electronic Warfare] forces and fell into the Gulf of Finland. One was shot down over the territory of the oil storage terminal.

Meanwhile, Astra reported that a drone fell and exploded on the territory of the PJSC "Petersburg Oil Terminal" in St. Petersburg.

According to preliminary information from BAZA, drone debris fell in the open area of one of the elevator sites in the port between the reservoirs with heavy fuel oil. After the fall, the drone exploded, leading to a fire. The burning area covered 130 square meters.

Similar attacks on Russian oil facilities

Explosions and fires regularly occur on Russian territory, with some linked to drone attacks.

As Rubryka reported, the so-called "governor of Sevastopol," Mikhail Razvozhaev, announced on the night of April 29 that a fuel reservoir was on fire in occupied Kozacha Bay. The fire engulfed an area of 1,000 square meters, and the fires were assigned to the 4th class.

On May 3, another incident occurred in Taman, Russia, where an explosion happened in the port, followed by a fire in a fuel reservoir.

On December 22, the Russians came up with a new "attack" on an oil storage facility in the Bryansk Oblast. Russian media claimed that drones attempted to attack fuel tanks.

On December 5, Russians claimed to have intercepted and destroyed over 40 supposedly Ukrainian drones over the territory of the Russian Federation and occupied Crimea. Ukrainian drones allegedly targeted the "Maritime Oil Terminal" in occupied Feodosia.

On January 9, in the city of Oryol, Russia, drones attacked an oil depot and an energy enterprise. Explosions were also reported in the Kursk region.

Already on January 4, on the Crimean Peninsula, explosions rocked occupied Sevastopol and Yevpatoria: witnesses claimed "flyovers," while the Russian Ministry of Defense reported the interception of ten missiles. One of the largest-scale drone attacks in the Russian Federation occurred on the night of August 30.