Ukrainian drones strike Saint Petersburg oil terminal and data center

A massive Ukrainian drone attack targeted Saint Petersburg overnight on October 17-18, striking an oil terminal, a data center, and a bridge, according to Russian state media. The attack caused fires and damaged four cars from drone debris, with 127 drones reported shot down by Russian forces. The strikes hit the Saint Petersburg Oil Terminal, one of Russia's largest fuel storage and export facilities, and a data center owned by VKontakte, a major Russian social media company. Ukrainian monitoring channels reported the "massive" attack began at 2:50 AM local time, with eyewitness footage showing drones over the city and Russian air defenses engaging them. The attack is part of Ukraine's ongoing campaign against Russian infrastructure, following recent strikes on Yandex data centers and a previous hit on the same oil terminal in July. Saint Petersburg, located 856 kilometers from Ukraine's border, is President Vladimir Putin's hometown, and the strikes align with Kyiv's stated policy of responding to Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.