Drone attacks target St. Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast, and Belgorod
Overnight on July 4, unmanned aerial vehicles struck multiple locations across Russia, including St. Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast, and Belgorod. In St. Petersburg, the assault focused on an oil terminal in the Kirovsky District, where residents reported several fire outbreaks. Governor Alexander Beglov confirmed the attack and warned of possible mobile internet disruptions, urging people to stay indoors. Explosions were heard across the city, and columns of smoke rose into the sky. According to the outlet Astra, a railway tanker caught fire, marking the second strike on this terminal within the past month.
Infrastructure damage
In Leningrad Oblast, the port of Vysotsk—home to a Lukoil oil terminal—became the target. Russian authorities reported debris falling within the port area. Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko claimed that more than 70 drones were shot down. However, NASA's FIRMS satellite system had not detected any thermal anomalies near the St. Petersburg port at the time of publication.
Additionally, Belgorod came under drone attack, with local officials reporting damage to infrastructure facilities. The city experienced disruptions to electricity and water supply. Official sources stated there were no casualties in Belgorod. Yet the local outlet Pepel noted that the city was almost completely blacked out, with strikes hitting major substations. A fire broke out at the Luch thermal power plant, and nearby settlements also lost power.
Overall, these drone strikes inflicted significant damage on critical infrastructure across the affected regions, causing severe consequences for local residents.
These events highlight the growing threat to civilian targets in Russia, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine. Attacks on oil terminals and other infrastructure assets can have not only economic repercussions but also social impacts on local populations, including power and water outages. It is important to monitor the situation closely, as such strikes could affect regional stability.
The recent drone strikes have not only targeted oil terminals but also resulted in significant fires in the surrounding areas. For further insights into the aftermath of these attacks and how they are impacting operations at the St. Petersburg port, you can read more about the massive fire at the port that erupted following the strikes.