Drone strikes hit St. Petersburg oil port, VK data center, and bridge, sparking fires and blackouts

On the night of October 18, Saint Petersburg came under a massive drone attack, with explosions and active Russian air defense reported. Strikes hit an oil port, a VK data center, and a bridge, causing fires and power outages in parts of the city and region. The attack targeted the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal, one of the largest Baltic transshipment points, where at least one tank caught fire. A VK data center was also hit, causing widespread service disruptions, and a cable-stayed bridge on the Western High-Speed Diameter was damaged. The oil terminal has an annual capacity of 12.5 million tons and 32 tanks. The data center had a 63 MW capacity and over 3,800 server racks. A nearby 330 kV substation was likely struck, causing blackouts.