St Petersburg region oil terminal hit in major Ukrainian drone attack
Overview of the Drone Attack and Its Impact
Details of the Attack on St Petersburg and Leningrad Region
MOSCOW, July 4 (Reuters) - Russia's second city of St Petersburg and the surrounding region came under a major Ukrainian drone attack overnight on Saturday, with a local port and oil infrastructure hit, Russian and Ukrainian authorities said, as Kyiv's drone strikes continue to deepen fuel shortages in Russia.
St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said the city of 6 million had been subjected to a "large-scale" drone attack, with the city's oil terminal struck. He said there were no casualties and that the aftermath of the attack had been dealt with.
Vysotsk Port and Regional Damage
Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the surrounding Leningrad region, said a drone had struck the area of Vysotsk port, about 170 km (105 miles) northwest of St Petersburg on the Baltic Sea. The port handles oil, grain, coal and liquefied natural gas.
Drozdenko said 72 drones had been shot down over the region, and there was minor damage in several settlements. He gave no information on the impact on Vysotsk port.
Ukrainian and Russian Official Statements
Ukrainian Claims of Strikes on Oil Infrastructure
In a post on Telegram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said: "Ukraine's defence forces struck port oil infrastructure that generates revenue for Russia's war, and also hit Kronstadt, an important military target more than 850 km (530 miles) from Ukraine's state border."
Russian Response and Confirmation
There was no Russian confirmation of a strike on Kronstadt, a major naval base near St Petersburg that Ukraine also targeted in an earlier attack in June.
Wider Impact on Russian Energy Infrastructure
Fuel Shortages and Economic Measures
Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian energy infrastructure this year, inflicting major damage on refineries and causing gasoline shortages across the country's 11 time zones.
Russian state news agency TASS reported that President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed into law tax code amendments aimed at supporting the domestic fuel market, including tax incentives for producing high-octane fuel through blending.
Local Effects in Leningrad Region
In the Leningrad region town of Gatchina on Friday, a Reuters witness saw long queues at fuel stations, with some outlets entirely out of fuel.
One resident waiting in line, who gave his name as Gennadiy, told Reuters: "Standing in queues after work isn't exactly fun."
"And then, in a couple of days, I'll have to stand in queues again, because I'll run out of gas again."
Other Drone Attacks Across Russia
Incidents in Bryansk, Crimea, and Pskov Regions
Elsewhere, the governor of Russia's Bryansk region and the Russian-installed governor of Crimea said that drone strikes had killed one person in each region, with several more wounded.
South of St Petersburg, the governor of Pskov region said more than 30 drones had been shot down overnight. He reported minor damage and injuries, including at a factory in the town of Velikiye Luki.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Reuters. Writing by Felix Light; Editing by Mark Potter; Editing by Ros Russell)
