Ukraine Launches Over 1,000 Drones, Strikes St. Petersburg Oil Facilities

Ukrainian strikes set an oil export terminal and a depot ablaze in St. Petersburg on Sunday, October 18, 2026. This attack was part of one of Kyiv's largest aerial assaults of the war, involving the launch of more than 1,000 drones at Russia. Smoke billowed into the sky following the strikes on an industrial zone in St. Petersburg.

The attacks sparked fires at the Petersburg Oil Terminal and the city's Ruchi oil depot. Local Governor Alexander Beglov reported that one person was killed and five others were wounded in St. Petersburg. A logistics centre belonging to Russian retailer Ozon and a data centre operated by Russian tech giant VK were also targeted, as confirmed by the respective companies.

Russia's Defence Ministry stated on Sunday, October 18, 2026, that its forces had destroyed 1,015 Ukrainian drones over 15 Russian regions, the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, and the Black Sea. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency Tass that while Kyiv was “resisting” Moscow's invasion, it could not “change the current course of events.”

The strikes occurred amid deepening tensions between Ukraine and Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump had criticized Kyiv's attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, and the prospect of further U.S. sanctions against Moscow remained uncertain. Mr. Trump had signed an executive order on Friday night, October 16, 2026, waiving planned restrictions, citing U.S. national interests.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed these developments on NBC's “Meet the Press” on Sunday, October 18, 2026, stating that waiving sanctions against Russia would strengthen Mr. Putin's war effort. He also confirmed that U.S.-Ukraine intelligence sharing had resumed after being “blocked for some period of time.” Mr. Zelenskyy expressed trust in Mr. Trump but warned that siding with Moscow would be a tragedy and a “historic mistake” for Washington.

Mr. Zelenskyy urged, “People want to forget what's going on. But we can't give this possibility to forget, or to change reality, or to change the truth.” He emphasized, “We can't compare Putin and Putin. He's an aggressor. He occupied us. He killed adults and children, his soldiers. He's a terrorist. And that's why I hope that President Trump will be very clear with this position.” Separately, Russian attacks on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Sunday killed a woman and wounded at least two others, including a 6-year-old girl, damaging two apartment buildings, 18 cars, and an educational institution, according to Mykhailo Semikin, head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration.

What to watch: The impact of these strikes on Russian infrastructure and the evolving US stance on sanctions.

Editor's note: The draft accurately reports on the drone strikes and the political fallout, including the specific figures for the drones destroyed and the quotes from President Zelenskyy.