DOMINANT ANGLE
Moscow is counting the downed drones and the damage: 1,015 devices reported destroyed, but a human toll and regional figures that vary from one source to another.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The Defense Ministry claims to have destroyed 1,015 Ukrainian drones between 8pm on October 17 and 8am on October 18, over 14 regions and the Black Sea (RIA Novosti).
- 02
Governor Beglov reports fires at the oil terminal and the Routchi depot, one dead and five injured; a dozen residential buildings are damaged (Moscow Times, Meduza).
- 03
The figures differ: 126 drones shot down in the Leningrad region according to TASS, 135 and ten injured according to Vedomosti, fifteen injured according to Meduza.
ANALYSIS
Moscow, October 18, 2026. In the night from Saturday to Sunday, Ukraine launched drones on Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad region. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, cited by RIA Novosti, air defense destroyed 1,015 drones between 8 pm on October 17 and 8 am on October 18, over the regions of Belgorod, Bryansk, Leningrad, Moscow, Crimea, and the Black Sea.
State agencies are reporting based on official statements. Interfax cites Governor Alexander Beglov: rescue teams are putting out fires in the Nevski, Krasnosselski, Krasnogvardeiski, and Moskovski districts, as well as at the "Saint Petersburg Oil Terminal", and the activity of Pulkovo Airport is limited. The initial message indicated "no casualties"; TASS is still reporting this. Later, Beglov announced one death and five injured (Moscow Times), damaged residential buildings, and fires at the Ruchyi depot and in warehouses in the Kolpino district (Interfax). In the Leningrad region, Governor Alexander Drozdenko spoke of 126 downed drones (TASS); Vedomosti later cited 135 drones, one death, and ten injured.
The affected companies are being cited at length. Ozon: "We quickly evacuated all employees, no one was injured", a fire broke out; the items from the affected center are being removed from the showcase and undeliverable orders will be canceled (Vedomosti, RIA). VK confirms the attack on its data center in Leningrad, specifying that its services are functioning normally. Meduza notes user complaints, without establishing a link to the strike, and recalls that Yandex's data centers were targeted three times the previous week and Sber's this week.
Meduza provides the most comprehensive report: the oil terminal of the port, the Ruchyi depot, the "Vostochnaya" substation, the Western High-Speed Diameter cable-stayed bridge, the Vasilievsky hospital, one death and 15 injured in the city and region, Pulkovo closed for eight hours. Interfax announces the partial reopening of the highway. Vedomosti, citing Finnish television Yle, notes that a Hurghada-Saint Petersburg flight landed in Helsinki due to the airport closure.
SOURCES (6)
- Moscow TimesMEDIUM
- InterfaxMEDIUM
- VedomostiMEDIUM
- RIA NovostiMEDIUM
