Ukraine and Russia carried out new attacks over the weekend, with both sides reporting damage to energy infrastructure while continuing to dispute control of the eastern Ukrainian town of Kostiantynivka. The latest developments follow days of intensified fighting and long-range drone and missile attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces struck oil infrastructure near Saint Petersburg on Friday evening, targeting facilities that generate revenue for Russia’s military campaign. He also said Ukrainian forces hit Kronstadt, describing it as an important military target located more than 850 kilometers from Ukraine’s border.
Russian officials confirmed that Ukrainian drones targeted the Leningrad region. Governor Alexander Drozdenko said dozens of drones were intercepted, with debris falling near the port of Vysotsk. Saint Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov described the attack as large-scale and said there were no reported casualties in the city. Russian authorities also reported temporary disruptions, including restrictions at Pulkovo Airport and limits on mobile internet service during the attack.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said hundreds of Ukrainian drones were intercepted across the country overnight. Finland’s public broadcaster also reported temporary aviation and maritime restrictions in the eastern Gulf of Finland following the drone activity.
Russia launched its own attacks on Ukraine early Saturday. According to Naftogaz Group CEO Sergii Koretskyi, a strike on gas production facilities in the Poltava region caused a fire and forced operations at the site to stop. He said the extent of the damage had not yet been determined.
Russian strikes also hit the northeastern city of Sumy, where Ukrainian emergency officials said three people, including a child, were killed. Authorities reported that 27 others, including seven children, were injured. Emergency crews rescued several people from damaged buildings. In Ukraine’s Odesa region, officials said a warehouse storing food products caught fire after a strike that injured two people. A separate attack in the Kherson region caused a fire at a poultry farm.
The exchange of attacks comes days after Russia launched a large drone and missile barrage against Kyiv. Ukrainian officials said the attack killed at least 30 people and struck more than 20 locations across the capital. Ukraine’s air force reported that the assault included hundreds of drones as well as Zircon and Iskander missiles. Kyiv’s mayor called it the city’s largest attack of the war.
Ukraine has continued targeting Russia’s energy sector in recent months as part of its military strategy. According to the information released by Ukrainian officials, the campaign has affected oil infrastructure and fuel supplies in parts of Russia and Russian-controlled territory. Russian officials have acknowledged fuel shortages while saying repairs are continuing.
Fighting also continued around Kostiantynivka in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Russia said its forces had captured the town, calling it an important transportation and industrial center. Ukrainian officials rejected that claim. Zelenskyy called Russia’s announcement false, and Ukraine’s military said its forces remained in defensive positions inside and around the town. Army spokesman Andriy Kovalyov said small Russian infantry groups had entered parts of Kostiantynivka, but Ukrainian troops were conducting counter-sabotage operations. He also said Russian forces carried out 11 assault attempts on Friday without taking control of the town.
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