2 hours ago Ukraine has struck a large lipid terminal successful Russia's 2nd metropolis of St Petersburg and different targets successful the country's north-west.
In a station connected societal media, President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote: "Ukraine's defence forces struck larboard lipid infrastructure that generates gross for Russia's war." He besides said an "important subject target" was deed overnight successful Kronstadt, a adjacent naval base.
St Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov said the metropolis was nether a "massive" drone attack, admitting the lipid terminal was hit. He reported nary casualties.
Ukraine has successful caller months intensified its long-range drone attacks connected Russia's captious vigor infrastructure, causing substance shortages successful a fig of regions.
In his station connected Saturday morning, Zelensky said the targets deed successful St Petersburg and the surrounding portion were astir 850km (528 miles) from Ukraine's border.
The grade of the harm was not instantly clear, but a video posted by the Ukrainian president showed a drone flying towards a people and a immense file of achromatic fume billowing from the country aft the strike.
The BBC aboriginal verified that St Petersburg's lipid terminal was hit.
Ukraine's subject described the terminal arsenic "one of the largest" successful Russia, susceptible of producing 12.5 cardinal tonnes of petroleum products per year.
The subject besides said a cardinal naval basal of the Russian Baltic Fleet successful Kronstadt was hit.
Russia has not publically commented connected the claim.
Writing connected Telegram, Governor Beglov said that 72 Ukrainian drones were changeable down implicit St Petersburg and the wider Leningrad region.
He urged metropolis residents to enactment indoors until the drone menace was lifted. Mobile net services whitethorn besides beryllium disrupted, helium warned.
More than 5 cardinal radical unrecorded successful St Petersburg.
In a abstracted improvement connected Saturday, Ukraine's subject denied that the cardinal eastbound Ukrainian municipality of Kostyantynivka was present nether afloat Russian control.
Military spokesperson Maj Andriy Kovalyov told the BBC that "Kostyantynivka remains nether the power of the Defence Forces of Ukraine".
He admitted that determination were "cases of infiltration by tiny infantry groups heavy into the combat formations of our forces", but added that those groups were being identified and destroyed.
His comments came a time aft Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russian power had been established implicit the municipality of Kostyantynivka successful June.
Putin provided nary grounds to backmost his claim.
Later connected Saturday, Zelensky wrote connected Telegram: "If Kostyantynivka is present nether Russian control, past Putin volition astir apt person nary occupation gathering maine determination and uncovering diplomatic solutions to yet extremity the war. But still, helium volition not transverse the beforehand line: the information is precise antithetic from Putin's words."
Kostyantynivka is 1 of respective heavily-fortified towns that marque up Ukraine's "fortress belt" successful the Donetsk region, astir of which is occupied by Russia.
President Putin launched a full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022, and Moscow presently controls astir 20% of Ukrainian territory.
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