Ukraine launches over 1,000 drones, hits St. Petersburg oil sites, kills one

The attack set fire to the Petersburg Oil Terminal and Ruchi depot, also hitting Ozon and VK facilities, while Russia reported destroying 1,015 drones.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sun, 18 Oct 2026 19:30:40 GMT

On Oct. 18, 2026, Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at targets across Russia, including the Petersburg Oil Terminal and the Ruchi oil depot in St. Petersburg, where a fire broke out, killing one person and wounding five, according to local governor Alexander Beglov.

What happened

Smoke rose over St. Petersburg after the oil export terminal and a nearby depot were struck, igniting flames that spread to a logistics centre owned by retailer Ozon and a data centre operated by tech firm VK. The Russian Defence Ministry said its forces intercepted and destroyed 1,015 Ukrainian drones over 15 Russian regions, the annexed Crimean peninsula and the Black Sea.

What the reports add

CBS News noted that the attack was among Kyiv’s largest aerial operations of the war and quoted Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who told Tass that Ukraine was “resisting” Moscow’s invasion but could not “change the current course of events.” The New York Post added that U.S. President Donald Trump criticised Kyiv for striking Russian oil infrastructure, a detail not mentioned by CBS.

What was said

Governor Alexander Beglov told local media that the attacks killed one person and injured five, and confirmed fires at the oil terminal and Ruchi depot. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “Kyiv was ‘resisting’ Moscow’s invasion but could not ‘change the current course of events,’” as reported by CBS News. The Russian Defence Ministry claimed it had neutralised 1,015 drones, a figure echoed by both outlets.

How it came about

The St. Petersburg strike follows a series of large‑scale drone raids by Ukraine, including a similar attack on Moscow’s region on Oct. 6 and a September 20 assault that targeted the capital, as detailed in Felo’s earlier coverage here. Those prior raids also saw Russian authorities report high numbers of drones shot down and significant civilian casualties.

Key facts

Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia on Oct. 18, 2026 (cbsnews.com)
One person was killed and five wounded in St. Petersburg (cbsnews.com)
Fires erupted at the Petersburg Oil Terminal and Ruchi oil depot (nypost.com)
Russia’s Defence Ministry said it destroyed 1,015 Ukrainian drones (nypost.com)