Russia and Ukraine exchanged massive overnight drone and missile strikes into Sunday, October 18, hitting oil terminals, power substations and logistics hubs on both sides of the border as a fragile American-brokered energy truce collapsed in public. This is a follow-up to our earlier report on Ukraine's drone attack on the St. Petersburg oil terminal — what began as Kyiv's raid on Russian energy sites overnight has now become a full two-way exchange, with Moscow answering by striking Ukraine's power grid.
At least three people were killed and 21 others injured across both countries in the overnight exchange, wire services reported. In Ukraine, residential buildings came under fire while electricity substations in four regions were targeted. In Russia, a Ukrainian drone wave set an oil terminal ablaze near St. Petersburg and left around 20,000 residents without power, according to the regional governor. And in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used the moment to level two explosive accusations — one at Moscow, and one, unusually, at Washington.
Russia Ukraine Overnight Drone Strikes: What Happened on Both Sides
The night's heaviest blow landed in Russia's second city. Governor Alexander Beglov described Ukraine's drone assault on St. Petersburg as "massive," saying one person was killed and five others were wounded, with residential homes damaged as well. Fires broke out at the city's oil terminal, the Ruchyi oil depot and several industrial warehouses, while 12 apartment buildings and two private homes sustained damage, Beglov said on Telegram.
It didn't stop at the terminal. An Ozon logistics facility in St. Petersburg was also struck, sparking a fire that forced employees to evacuate — though the company said no injuries were reported at the site. In the neighboring Leningrad region, Governor Alexander Drozdenko said four people were hospitalized. Drone debris struck an apartment building in Gatchina, 55 parked vehicles were damaged in Novosyolye, and an emergency power outage hit 50 apartment buildings, leaving approximately 20,000 residents without electricity, according to the governor. Even the Russian social media company VKontakte confirmed its data center in the Leningrad region had been targeted, though it said services remained operational.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 1,015 Ukrainian drones overnight — a claim that could not be independently verified. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin added that 512 drones had been directed toward the Moscow region overnight, most of which were intercepted at a distance from the capital.
Moscow hit back at Ukraine's energy grid. Zelenskyy said Russian overnight strikes on residential buildings across Ukraine killed two people and injured 12 others. He said Russian forces targeted electricity substations in the Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi and Odesa regions overnight, leaving tens of thousands of households without power. Over the past week, he said, Russia had launched nearly 2,700 attack drones, 1,700 aerial bombs and 66 missiles — most of them ballistic — against Ukraine, with energy facilities as the main targets.
Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces had conducted overnight strikes against Ukrainian logistics centers, ports and vessels it described as supporting Ukraine's armed forces. It alleged that a logistics center run by the Ukrainian postal company Nova Poshta in Rivne stored and distributed dual-use goods, including components for long- and medium-range drones, and claimed a cargo vessel carrying military and dual-use supplies had been hit at sea approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) east of the port of Odesa. Those are Russian claims; Ukraine has not confirmed them. Ukraine's Air Force, meanwhile, said its air defenses shot down or suppressed 152 Russian drones during the overnight attacks.
A note on the casualty figures, because they differ: CNN reported that eleven people were killed and nearly 50 injured across Ukraine in Russian missile and drone attacks in the 24 hours to Sunday morning, citing Ukrainian authorities — a wider time window. Zelenskyy's own statement covered only the overnight strikes on residential buildings: two killed, twelve injured. The combined overnight figure reported by wire services — at least three dead and 21 injured on both sides — matches the narrower window: one killed in St. Petersburg plus two in Ukraine, and five wounded near St. Petersburg, four hospitalized in the Leningrad region, and twelve injured in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy's Two Accusations: Moscow Broke the Truce, Washington Cut the Signal
Zelenskyy used a post on X on Sunday to accuse Moscow of shredding the energy truce US President Donald Trump announced a week ago. "Since the American President announced the energy ceasefire a week ago, Russia has deliberately attacked Ukraine's energy and oil and gas sectors 76 times," he wrote. He added: "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."
It's worth noting that neither Kyiv nor Moscow ever acknowledged such an agreement in the first place — the "energy ceasefire" was Trump's announcement, and Ukraine briefly paused its strikes on Russian energy sites before resuming them. The truce, such as it was, is now clearly dead. For background on how this dispute built up, see our earlier report on Russia striking Ukraine hours after Trump's energy ceasefire announcement.
Zelenskyy's second accusation was aimed at his own ally. He said on Saturday that the Ukrainian military's access to the Starlink satellite system — used to guide short-range and battlefield drones — remains curtailed. "The maximum speed today is 161 kilometers per hour. After that, based on what I've seen and heard in the reports, Starlink shuts down, and we lose the drone," he said. "Unfortunately, we can't currently use Starlink or Starshield any more in our country to shoot down jet-powered shaheds," he added, referring to the Iranian-designed drones Russia uses.
Then came the sharpest line: "The restrictions are in effect on Ukrainian territory, but they do not apply within the European Union. In other words, this is a planned operation… to restrict us, cut us off and prevent us from defending ourselves and protecting our people." The Trump administration denies restricting the service. Kyiv also said last week it was now facing Russian ballistic missile attacks without any alerts from allies — US satellite networks have been critical in giving Ukraine's military warning of incoming missiles.
Why It Matters
This exchange blows up the central premise of Washington's recent diplomacy: that both sides could be coaxed into leaving energy infrastructure alone. Trump announced the truce a week ago — CNN reported the White House was trying to relieve pressure on oil and diesel prices ahead of the US midterm elections — and then, on Friday, invoked a waiver exempting Russia from sweeping economic penalties mandated by Congress, while also waiving sanctions on imports of Russian diesel. Zelenskyy is now openly arguing that the sanctions relief rewarded Moscow for escalating. CNN noted the moves drew criticism even from Republicans. For the full picture of the waiver, read our explainer on why Trump waived Russia sanctions under the Graham Act.
For ordinary Ukrainians, the stakes are more immediate: winter is approaching, and Russia is systematically degrading the power grid again. Tens of thousands of households lost power overnight, and substations in four regions were hit. If the Starlink restrictions Zelenskyy describes are real — and Washington denies they are — Ukraine's ability to intercept the Shahed drones doing much of this damage would be seriously weakened.
What Happens Next
Watch whether Russia follows up on the St. Petersburg raid with a heavier retaliation wave — Moscow has a pattern of answering Ukrainian deep strikes with multi-day barrages on Ukraine's grid. Watch also for any White House response to Zelenskyy's Starlink accusation; a flat denial already exists, but Kyiv is clearly trying to force the issue into the open. And with the US midterms now just over two weeks away, every new strike on energy infrastructure lands directly in an American domestic political fight over oil prices.
Key Takeaways
- Russia and Ukraine exchanged massive overnight drone and missile strikes into Sunday, October 18 — at least three killed and 21 injured combined, officials said.
- Ukraine's drones set the St. Petersburg oil terminal ablaze, hit an Ozon logistics hub and a VK data center, and left about 20,000 people without power; one person was killed and five wounded, Russian authorities said.
- Russia struck Ukrainian substations in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi and Odesa, leaving tens of thousands of households without power; Zelenskyy said two people were killed and 12 injured overnight.
- Zelenskyy accused Russia of 76 attacks on Ukraine's energy sector since Trump's truce announcement — a truce neither side ever formally acknowledged.
- He also accused the US of curbing his military's Starlink access as a "planned operation" — the Trump administration denies it.
- Russia's claim of downing 1,015 Ukrainian drones overnight could not be independently verified; Moscow's strike claims against Ukrainian logistics targets are likewise unverified.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people were killed in the overnight Russia-Ukraine strikes?
Wire reports put the combined overnight toll at at least three killed and 21 injured across both countries: one killed and five wounded near St. Petersburg, four hospitalized in the Leningrad region, and two killed and 12 injured in Ukraine, per Zelenskyy. CNN separately cited Ukrainian authorities reporting 11 killed and nearly 50 injured across Ukraine in the wider 24 hours to Sunday morning — a different time window, which explains the gap.
What did Zelenskyy accuse Russia of on Sunday?
In a post on X, Zelenskyy accused Moscow of deliberately attacking Ukraine's energy and oil and gas sectors 76 times since Trump announced an energy ceasefire a week ago. He said Russian forces hit electricity substations in the Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi and Odesa regions overnight, leaving tens of thousands of households without power, and argued Russia is taking US sanctions relief as proof "their bet on war is paying off."
What is Zelenskyy's Starlink accusation against the US?
Zelenskyy said Saturday that Ukraine's military can no longer properly use Starlink or Starshield to guide battlefield drones or shoot down jet-powered Shaheds, saying the system shuts down above 161 kilometers per hour. He called it a "planned operation" to restrict Ukraine's defenses, noting the limits apply on Ukrainian territory but not in the EU. The Trump administration denies restricting the service.
Did Russia really shoot down 1,015 Ukrainian drones?
That figure comes from Russia's Defense Ministry, which claimed its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 1,015 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian territory, Crimea and the Black Sea. It could not be independently verified. Moscow's mayor separately said 512 drones were directed at the Moscow region. Ukraine's Air Force said it shot down or suppressed 152 Russian drones in the same period.
What did Russia claim to hit inside Ukraine?
Russia's Defense Ministry said it struck Ukrainian logistics centers, ports and vessels allegedly supporting Ukraine's armed forces. It alleged a Nova Poshta logistics center in Rivne stored drone components and claimed a cargo vessel carrying military and dual-use supplies was hit about 30 kilometers east of Odesa's port. These are Russian claims that Ukraine has not confirmed.
What is Trump's energy truce and why did it fail?
A week ago, Trump said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacking each other's energy infrastructure — though neither Kyiv nor Moscow acknowledged any such deal. Ukraine briefly paused its energy strikes, then resumed them; Russia, by Zelenskyy's account, never stopped. Trump then waived sanctions on Russian diesel imports and invoked a waiver exempting Moscow from sweeping congressional penalties, moves Zelenskyy says rewarded escalation.
Sources
- CNN, "Ukraine defies Trump and launches one of its biggest drone attacks on Russia this year," October 18, 2026 — cnn.com
- Saudi Gazette, "Three killed, 21 injured as Russia and Ukraine exchange massive overnight drone strikes," October 18, 2026 — saudigazette.com.sa
Related on GlobalDeskNews: Ukrainian Drones Strike St. Petersburg Oil Terminal, 1 Killed · Why Trump Waived Russia Sanctions Under the Graham Act · Russia Strikes Ukraine Hours After Trump's Energy Ceasefire
Byline: GlobalDeskNews Staff