Nacho Montes de Oca stated that Ukraine launched a massive long-range drone attack against St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region overnight. According to his post, the impacts hit a oil terminal and the main data center of VKontakte, as well as causing fires in several districts. He added that regional authorities reported the downing of dozens of drones and that restrictions at Pulkovo Airport delayed or canceled at least 46 flights. Montes de Oca noted that the terminal had an annual capacity of about 12.5 million tons and was an important point for transporting fuels via the Baltic and supplying the Russian fleet that exported crude oil. Although, according to him, the damage only affected part of the facilities, he stated that the fire in tanks and pumping systems temporarily suspended 100% of loading operations. He estimated that repairs would reduce Russian logistical capacity to export diesel by 15% to 20% for several weeks. Regarding VKontakte, which according to Montes de Oca had over 95 million active monthly users, the author stated that the data center provided communication, video, and access to public platforms, and was also integrated into state systems for education, health, and e-government. He added that NetBlocks recorded a drop in platform traffic to 56% of its normal level, about 44% less. In his analysis, the attack added to previous ones against Yandex data centers in Sasovo, Kaluga, and Vladímir, and could affect digital and state services. Montes de Oca indicated that the Ruchyi depot could store 114,000 cubic meters of fuel and supplied heavy and rail transport of the Leningrad Military District. He also stated that the Baltic ports supported Russian exports of crude and its derivatives. According to his post, Russia aimed to export between 3 and 3.5 million tons of diesel per month by the end of 2026, more than 10% of the global market, and damage to terminals and refineries would limit its income and export capacity. The author said that the offensive weakened the energy truce driven by Donald Trump and that Kiev had warned it would respond if Russia continued attacking Ukrainian infrastructure. He added that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had confirmed that Starshield was not operating in Ukraine nor had it been enabled to guide Ukrainian drones over Russian territory, so, according to Montes de Oca, it was not used in the attack. #Ucrania #SanPetersburgo #GuerraUcrania (translated)
