(Image from Zelenskiy / Official)
The Ukrainian leader revealed that the military deployed drones to attack a large Russian oil depot in the city of Saint Petersburg, causing a severe fire, while Ukraine's military denied reports that Russia had captured another city.
On 4 Jul 2026 GMT+7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy disclosed that Ukraine launched an attack on a large oil depot in Saint Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, on Friday night. He described it as a critical infrastructure generating revenue for Russia's war efforts.
Zelenskiy stated on Saturday morning that the targeted sites in Saint Petersburg and surrounding areas are about 850 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Although the full extent of the damage was initially unclear, a video posted by the Ukrainian president showed drones flying toward the target, followed by massive black smoke rising from the area after the strike. Later, the BBC confirmed that Saint Petersburg's oil depot had indeed been attacked.
The Ukrainian military explained that this oil depot is "one of the largest" in Russia, with a production capacity of up to 12.5 million tons of petroleum products annually. They also noted that the main naval base of Russia's Baltic Fleet in the city of Kronstadt was attacked as well.
Alexander Beglov, governor of Saint Petersburg, said the city faced a "major" drone attack, with 72 Ukrainian drones shot down over Saint Petersburg and Leningrad region. He confirmed the oil depot was hit but insisted there were no injuries or fatalities.
In recent months, Ukraine has escalated long-range drone strikes against key Russian energy infrastructure, causing widespread fuel shortages. Kyiv claims that nearly 43% of Russia’s oil refining capacity has been "rendered inoperative" due to these attacks.
Ukraine stated that Russia's oil and gas facilities are legitimate targets because Moscow relies heavily on fossil fuel exports to finance its ongoing war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Saturday aimed at increasing domestic fuel supply after acknowledging last week that fuel shortages were caused by Ukrainian attacks.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military denied reports that the city of Kostyantynivka, an important city in eastern Ukraine, had fallen entirely under Russian control.
Major Andriy Kavalyov, a military spokesperson, told the BBC that a small Russian infantry group infiltrated deep into Ukrainian lines but was discovered and destroyed. He emphasized that "Kostyantynivka remains under the control of Ukraine’s self-defense forces."
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Source:bbc