Sawt Falasteen - Ukraine sets Saint Petersburg refinery ablaze in large-scale drone attack

Trump last week announced an "energy ceasefire" -- which neither side said they agreed to beforehand -- that quickly collapsed, with Moscow continuing strikes on Ukraine's power grid and Kyiv eventually resuming hits on Russian oil refineries.

Trump has been angered by Kyiv's strikes on Russian refineries -- which he says are contributing to a surge in global fuel prices.

On Sunday, Ukraine hit Russia's second city as its ties with Washington strained in recent days.

Kyiv says its retaliatory strikes are fair retribution for years of Russia's offensive and destruction of its energy infrastructure.

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia Sunday of hitting Kyiv's energy, oil and gas facilities 76 times since Trump announced his ceasefire.

Saint Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov said one person was killed and five hospitalised in the city -- President Vladimir Putin's hometown -- in the night-time strikes.

Authorities were fighting fires at the Saint Petersburg oil terminal, the Ruchyi oil depot and industrial warehouses, he said.

Flights were restricted at the city's Pulkovo airport, Beglov said, adding that 12 housing blocks were also damaged.

Russia's VKontakte social network said its data centre was hit in the city and Ozon -- Russia's second largest retailer -- also reported a hit on its logistics centre.

The head of the wider Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, said air defence shot down 144 Ukrainian drones, with state media saying this was the largest attack on the city since the start of the 2022 war.

Ukraine has attacked Moscow and Saint Petersburg throughout the Kremlin's dragging offensive but large-scale hits on Russia's main cities are rare.

US-led peace talks have not led to a breakthrough. In a fifth year of war, few see a way out.

"There's a general feeling: they're attacking, we're attacking -- it's become the dreadful routine of war," 58-year-old Galina told AFP in Saint Petersburg.

Sergei, another resident of the city who is also 58, said he felt his apartment block shake and quickly realised it was a drone attack.

"I don't know if I was scared, what must be will be," he told AFP.

"My main thought was that petrol would run out at the petrol stations and I'd better fill up."

Ukrainian strikes caused nationwide fuel shortages in Russia earlier this year.

- 'Getting on my nerves' -

Leningrad governor Drozdenko said 20,000 people were without power in the town of Yanino, where a substation was hit.

He said a woman and three children were hospitalised "with symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning" in the region after drone debris fell on a house, causing a fire.

Smoke rose above Saint Petersburg's shipyards and was visible from the historic city centre, on the banks of the Neva River.

"I woke up at night, heard bangs, looked out of the window and there was a fire," 40-year-old Saint Petersburg resident Igor told AFP.

"They're getting on my nerves already," he added, referring to Ukraine.

Putin this week appeared in military uniform and said Moscow intended to seize the rest of eastern Ukraine by force.

- 'Their bet on war is paying off' -

The attack came a day after Zelensky called on allies to keep up pressure on Moscow to end the war and as he denounced Trump's move to block new sanctions on Russia.

On Sunday, he said Russian strikes hit substations in four Ukrainian regions, leaving "tens of thousands of families without power".

He has warned Moscow is trying to leave Ukrainians without heat and power ahead of winter.

Russian strikes also killed two people in an "agricultural enterprise" in the western Volyn region -- bordering NATO member Poland -- on Sunday, the wartime leader said.

"America should see that Russia is not taking any reciprocal steps in response to sanctions relief or agreements," Zelensky said, adding:

"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."

Trump this week blocked a package of new sanctions on Russia which was meant to target Putin, as well as Russia's energy and defence sectors.

The US leader also signed an agreement with Moscow this month to buy diesel, seen as a way to try to lower fuel prices for American consumers ahead of elections.

Kyiv and its European allies worry the White House is taking Russia's side in Europe's worst conflict since WWII.

"It is Russia that must face pressure for peace to have a chance," Zelensky said Sunday.

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K.AbuDahab--SF-PST