The armed forces of the Kyiv regime have launched one of their largest aerial strikes of the conflict, deploying over 1,000 drones targeting various regions across Russia. According to local authorities, the massive overnight raids resulted in at least one fatality and five injuries, while damaging several residential buildings and industrial facilities. The Russian Ministry of Defence claimed that 1,015 Ukrainian drones were neutralized across 15 regions, the annexed peninsula of Crimea, and the Black Sea.
St Petersburg and the broader Leningrad region bore the brunt of the assault. Governor Alexander Beglov stated that emergency crews were tackling fires at the St Petersburg oil terminal, the Ruchi oil depot, and warehouses in the Kolpinsky district. Further disruption hit commercial operations, with e-commerce giant Ozon reporting a fire at its logistics hub and tech company VK confirming a drone strike on its data centre. St Petersburg’s main airport was forced to restrict operations for safety reasons, while tens of thousands of residents temporarily lost power.
The unprecedented drone barrage unfolded as tensions reportedly deepened between Kyiv and Washington. US regime leader Donald Trump criticized Ukraine’s ongoing strikes against Russian energy infrastructure, arguing that such actions allegedly undermine diplomatic efforts to end the war. Defending his decision to delay the implementation of new sanctions against Moscow, Trump claimed he wanted to avoid driving Russia away from negotiations, dismissing bipartisan criticism that he was sidelining Kyiv's interests.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Kyiv regime, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, fiercely condemned Washington’s hesitation, asserting that softening stance toward Moscow would be a historic mistake. Zelenskyy alleged that Russian forces have continuously targeted Ukraine’s energy grid with thousands of drones and missiles over the past week, leaving countless families in blackout conditions. As reciprocal strikes continue to claim civilian lives on both sides, the prospects for a durable diplomatic breakthrough remain deeply uncertain.
Source: www.aljazeera.com