On the night of October 17-18, Ukrainian forces carried out a large-scale attack on the digital, energy and logistics infrastructure in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), this is the largest such strike since 2022. Analysts are assessing the consequences of the operation and pointing out the weaknesses in Russian defense that it has revealed, Focus reports.
According to ISW, Ukrainian forces have struck the data center of the Russian social network “VKontakte“ (VK), located near St. Petersburg, causing serious damage to the facility. The platform's press service said that the services continue to operate. At the same time, Russian media reported numerous complaints from users about significant disruptions in the work of the social network.
Among the affected facilities is the 330 kV Vostok electrical substation. The strike on it left about 20,000 people without electricity.
The Ukrainian armed forces also attacked the oil terminal in St. Petersburg, a warehouse of the Ozon company, where a large fire broke out, as well as a bridge connecting the northern and southern parts of the city.
ISW analysts pay attention to both the scale of the operation and the variety of targets hit. According to them, attacks on digital infrastructure cause serious disruptions in the functioning of the Russian digital ecosystem.
“This once again demonstrates the vulnerability of the Russian air defense system, as well as problems in the field of command and control of troops“, the institute noted.
The strikes are taking place against the backdrop of increasing political tensions surrounding the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused his American counterpart Donald Trump of trying to force Kiev to capitulate to Russia. At the same time, Zelensky has expressed readiness to accept Trump's demand to stop attacks on Russian refineries in exchange for additional missiles for Patriot air defense systems.
Meanwhile, Western media reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a trilateral summit next month with the participation of Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. According to the publications, the purpose of the meeting is to negotiate an end to the war on terms favorable to Moscow.