Ukrainian strikes set an oil export terminal and a depot ablaze in St. Petersburg as Kyiv launched more than 1000 drones at Russia in one of its largest aerial attacks of the war.
The strikes came as tensions between Ukraine and Washington deepened, with US President Donald Trump criticizing Kyiv’s attacks on Russian oil infrastructure and the prospect of further US sanctions against Moscow still uncertain.
Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said waiving sanctions against Russia would strengthen Putin’s war effort. He also said US-Ukraine intelligence sharing had resumed after being “blocked for some period of time".
Trump told reporters that they did not know what his decision on further sanctions against Russia would be, despite signing an executive order Friday night waiving planned restrictions, citing US national interests.
Zelensky said that while he trusted Trump, siding with Moscow would be a tragedy and a “historic mistake” for Washington.
“People want to forget what’s going on. But we can’t give this possibility to forget, or to change reality, or to change the truth,” Zelensky said. “We can’t compare me and Putin. He’s aggressor. He occupied us. He killed adults and children, his soldiers. He’s a terrorist. And that’s why I hope that President Trump will be very clear with this position.”
Later, Zelensky said on social media that he had spoken with US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about the results of an Oct. 9 meeting between US and Ukrainian negotiating teams in Miami, as well as “next steps in diplomacy".
Two killed as Russia and Ukraine trade blows
One person was killed and five others were wounded in the St. Petersburg attack, which sparked fires at the Petersburg Oil Terminal and the city’s Ruchi oil depot, local Gov. Alexander Beglov said. A logistics center belonging to Russian retailer Ozon and a data center operated by Russian tech giant VK were also targeted, the companies confirmed.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its forces had destroyed 1,015 Ukrainian drones over 15 Russian regions, the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and the Black Sea.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency Tass that Kyiv was “resisting” Moscow’s invasion but could not “change the current course of events".
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, a woman was killed and a 6-year-old girl was among at least two other people wounded in two Russian attacks on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, local officials said.
Russia continues energy attacks, Kyiv says
Trump announced on Oct. 11 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an “energy ceasefire” in the 4½-year-old war, but offered no details. Kyiv reported Russian attacks on energy sites continued after Trump's announcement, and on Thursday said it had resumed strikes on Russian oil facilities after a three-day pause.
Zelenskyy wrote on X that Russia had attacked Ukraine’s energy, oil and gas sectors 76 times in the week since Trump’s announcement. The Ukrainian government initially said it was observing the ceasefire.
Energy facilities in four Ukrainian regions were struck overnight, leaving tens of thousands of families without power, he said, accusing Russia of trying to cause a blackout.
“America should see that Russia is not taking any reciprocal steps in response to sanctions relief or agreements. On the contrary, they take every signal of an opportunity to make money as proof that their bet on war is paying off and they can keep fighting,” he wrote.
Zelenskyy also stressed that the war was continuing because of Russia’s invasion, not Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself. “It is Russia that must face pressure for peace to have a chance."
Ukraine apology to Lithuania over drone alert
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry apologised after a drone entered Lithuania’s airspace, prompting authorities to issue an air raid warning.
Russian electronic warfare may have diverted the drone during a Ukrainian operation against legitimate military targets in Russia, ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said in a statement.
Lithuanian authorities urged residents in two northern counties along the Latvian border to take cover early Sunday (local time) because of a possible drone incursion, public broadcaster LRT reported.
A drone entered the northern Pasvalys region and damaged a moving car, LRT said, citing Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center. No injuries were reported.
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