Ukraine Drones Hit Russian Naval Base Near St. Petersburg, Strike Crimea Fuel Depots in 1,565-Day War
Ukraine launched a series of long-range drone strikes, hitting a Russian naval base near St. Petersburg for the first time and targeting fuel depots in occupied Crimea, as Kyiv works to disrupt Moscow's military supply lines.
Ukraine’s drones have reached the Baltic coast for the first time, striking the Russian naval base at Kronstadt near St. Petersburg, marking a significant expansion of Kyiv’s drone campaign [168230]. The attack, which occurred on day 1,564 of the war, demonstrates Ukraine’s growing ability to hit targets far beyond the front lines [168230]. No official casualty figures have been released, but the operation signals a new phase in the conflict [168230].
In a separate operation, Ukrainian special forces struck a fuel depot and a maritime terminal in occupied Crimea, targeting the region’s fuel system as part of an “asymmetric” strategy to disrupt logistics networks that support Russian forces [168227][168225]. The attack aims to cut off key supply routes used by the Russian military [168227]. No further details on casualties or damage were immediately available [168227].
Russian supply lines are under increasing pressure. Ukraine depends on two major highways to supply its war effort, and if those roads are cut, critical supplies—fuel, artillery shells, and reinforcements—cannot reach occupied Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk [168222]. Ukrainian drones are actively working to sever those routes, according to the Institute for the Study of War [168222]. The strikes are expected to cause cascading disruptions across Russia's rear supply network [168222].
Meanwhile, a Russian drone strike damaged a central building at Ukraine’s spent nuclear fuel storage facility in the Chernobyl exclusion zone [168229][168225]. The attack sparked a fire that emergency crews later extinguished [168229]. No radiation leaks were reported, and the site remains secure [168229]. The incident occurred as President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in London to meet European leaders and demand stronger air defense systems [168130].
The Ukrainian government has also requested an evacuation for the city of Oleshky, which has been under Russian occupation since 2022 [168281]. Residents are cut off from the outside world and living in dire conditions, with severe hunger reported [168281]. Kyiv is now calling for international help to bring them to safety [168281].