St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, suffered a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attack on 18/10, resulting in one death and five injuries, Governor Aleksandr Beglov announced. The assault caused a fire at the St. Petersburg oil port and damaged 12 apartment buildings and two private homes. Fires also erupted at the Ruchyi oil depot and industrial warehouses in Kolpinsky.

The attack also delayed flights at Pulkovo International Airport, according to Beglov. RT television reported that the St. Petersburg oil port is the largest oil port in the Baltic region, capable of handling 12.5 million tons of liquid products annually.

Fire and smoke near St. Petersburg oil port on 18/10. Photo: Reuters

Aleksandr Drozdenko, head of Leningrad province surrounding St. Petersburg, stated that local air defense forces intercepted at least 144 Ukrainian UAVs overnight.

Four people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation after UAV debris fell on an apartment building in Vsevolzhsk. Residential areas in Kirovsk, Gatchina, and other locations also sustained debris impacts. Approximately 20,000 residents in Leningrad province experienced power outages, and two substations in Yanino, serving about 50 apartment buildings, ceased operations.

VKontakte, Russia's leading social media platform, reported that a company data center in Leningrad province was targeted by Ukrainian UAVs. Following the attack, Downdetector indicated an increase in reports of service disruptions for VKontakte users.

Ozon, Russia's second-largest e-commerce platform, also announced an attack on one of its warehouses. No injuries were reported as staff had been evacuated prior to the incident.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that a total of 1,015 Ukrainian UAVs were destroyed over 16 provinces on the night of 18/10.

AMK Mapping, an X account specializing in open-source intelligence on the Ukraine conflict, noted that alongside the large-scale UAV assault on St. Petersburg, Ukrainian forces also launched at least 17 FP-5 Flamingo long-range cruise missiles.

"The missiles flew in three groups, seemingly targeting St. Petersburg and Moskva, as well as other areas," the account stated. "All were shot down by air defense systems over Kursk, Voronezh, Bryansk, Smolensk, Oryol, and Tula provinces. I believe the Flamingo is the most overhyped and useless missile in the conflict, with an approximate 98% interception rate."

Following the attacks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia would continue retaliating to diminish Ukraine's "attack capabilities." He added, "They are resisting, but this will not change the course of the conflict."

Flamingo missile flight path. Graphic: X/AMK Mapping

Russia and Ukraine are targeting each other's energy infrastructure, despite US President Donald Trump's announcement on 11/10 that both sides had reached a ceasefire agreement in this sector.

On 18/10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of 76 violations of the Trump-announced agreement, asserting that Moscow intends to deprive Ukrainian citizens of electricity and heating before winter. He noted that recent Russian attacks had left "tens of thousands" of people in some regions without power.

By Pham Giang (According to AFP, RT, Anadolu)