WorldPosted at: Oct 18 2026 7:15PM


Ukraine launches major drone attack on Russian oil terminal amid rising tensions with Trump

Kyiv, Oct 18 (UNI) Ukraine launched one of its biggest drone attacks on Russia this year, striking an oil terminal in St Petersburg and other targets overnight, as Kyiv's campaign against Russian energy infrastructure adds to tensions with US President Donald Trump.
The attacks come as Washington seeks to ease pressure on oil and diesel prices ahead of crucial midterm elections, highlighting growing strains between the United States and Ukraine over Kyiv's long-range strikes on Russian targets.
Russia's Defence Ministry said it had shot down 1,015 Ukrainian drones over various parts of the country overnight into Sunday. Russian authorities reported damage and casualties in the attacks, while Ukraine's Fire Point, a company that manufactures drones used in the strike, said a fire broke out at the St Petersburg Oil Terminal.
The terminal has a handling capacity of up to 12.5 million tonnes a year, making it a significant part of Russia's energy infrastructure.
Russian distribution company Ozon said a logistics centre in St Petersburg was also attacked. Local authorities reported that one person was killed and five injured, while residential buildings were damaged.
The strikes came amid growing friction between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump, who last week described Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries as a "disgrace" and said Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to stop targeting each other's energy infrastructure.
Neither Ukraine nor Russia publicly confirmed such an agreement. Kyiv briefly halted attacks on energy facilities but has since resumed them, while Ukrainian officials say Russian strikes on their country's energy infrastructure have continued.
The dispute has raised concerns in Kyiv about the future of US support as Ukraine faces another winter of Russian attacks on its cities and power infrastructure.
Ukrainian authorities said Russian missile and drone attacks killed 11 people and injured nearly 50 across the country in the 24 hours to Sunday morning. They also reported what they described as a massive assault on energy facilities in the southern Odesa region.
"Since the American President announced the energy ceasefire a week ago, Russia has deliberately attacked Ukraine's energy and oil and gas sectors 76 times," Zelensky wrote on X on Sunday.
"America should see that Russia is not taking any reciprocal steps in response to sanctions relief or agreements," he added, accusing Moscow of interpreting opportunities to earn revenue as evidence that continuing the war was worthwhile.
Trump has eased some restrictions on Russian energy trade, including waiving sanctions on imports of Russian diesel. On Friday, he also invoked a waiver exempting Russia from sweeping economic penalties mandated by the US Congress, drawing criticism from some Republicans.
Zelensky has also raised concerns about restrictions affecting Ukraine's access to Starlink satellite communications, which its military uses to guide drones and support battlefield operations.
He said that Ukrainian drones lost their Starlink connection when travelling faster than 161 km per hour, according to information he had received from military reports.
The restrictions had also affected Ukraine's ability to use drones to intercept Russian jet-powered Shahed attack drones, Zelensky said, referring to the Iranian-designed drones used extensively by Russian forces.
"The restrictions are in effect on Ukrainian territory, but they do not apply within the European Union," he said, describing the situation as an effort to limit Ukraine's ability to defend itself. The Trump administration has denied restricting the service.
Kyiv has also said it is facing Russian ballistic missile attacks without receiving advance warnings from allies. US satellite networks have played an important role in providing Ukraine with intelligence and warnings of incoming attacks.
Zelenskyy said Russia had carried out 76 attacks on Ukraine's energy and oil and gas sectors since US President Donald Trump announced an energy ceasefire a week ago, leaving tens of thousands of families without electricity.
In a statement, Zelenskyy said Russian strikes overnight hit substations in the Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi and Odesa regions, while attacks on residential buildings killed two people and injured 12 others, including two children.
He said Russia had launched nearly 2,700 attack drones, 1,700 guided aerial bombs and 66 missiles, most of them ballistic, against Ukraine over the past week, accusing Moscow of deliberately targeting energy infrastructure in an attempt to plunge the country into darkness.
"Russia is not taking any reciprocal steps in response to sanctions relief or agreements," Zelenskyy said, adding that Moscow viewed opportunities to earn money as a sign that its war effort was paying off.
"Russia must face pressure for peace to have a chance," he said.UNI AAB
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