(LENINGRAD REGION, RUSSIA) – A military commandant’s office near St Petersburg has been destroyed by an explosion, as blasts were also reported at an oil refinery in Tatarstan and a chemical plant in Perm region.
According to reports circulating on Russian Telegram channels, the explosion in Leningrad region caused a partial collapse of the building. Two floors were destroyed. At least three people were reported killed. The facility was said to be involved in preparing and training Russian volunteers for deployment to the war in Ukraine.
Responsibility for the explosion has not been officially confirmed. Russian authorities have not issued detailed statements. Independent monitoring channels, including Astra, reported that the site played a role in mobilisation and training activities linked to the front.
The incident took place in Leningrad region, which surrounds St Petersburg. The region retains its Soviet era name despite the collapse of the USSR more than 30 years ago.
In a separate development, Ukrainian drones reportedly struck the Ilski oil refinery near Kazan in Tatarstan. The site lies far from the Ukrainian border and is considered strategically important to Russia’s oil industry. Footage shared online showed explosions and fires, although the full extent of the damage remains unclear.
Russian oil and gas revenues have declined sharply in recent years. In 2025, revenues reportedly fell by around 50 per cent compared to previous peak levels. Major firms such as Lukoil, Rosneft and Gazprom, once key contributors to the federal budget, have faced increasing financial pressure amid sanctions and infrastructure attacks.
Another reported strike hit the Metafrax chemical plant in Perm region. Facilities of this type are linked to industrial chemical production, including materials that can be used in explosives and other military applications.
Analysts say repeated drone strikes deep inside Russian territory highlight vulnerabilities in air defence and internal security systems. They also point to growing strain on Russia’s war budget and broader economy. Moscow continues to target Ukrainian energy and heating infrastructure during winter, using newly produced missiles as older Soviet era stockpiles diminish.
Ukrainian officials have argued that targeting military and energy infrastructure inside Russia forms part of a strategy to reduce Moscow’s capacity to sustain its war effort. The Kremlin has not publicly detailed the impact of the latest incidents.
Reports have also emerged of protests in several Russian regions, including Sakha, Bashkortostan and Tatarstan, reflecting internal pressures within the federation.
A military commandants office destroyed in Leningrad region, an oil refinery in Tatarstan and a chemical plant in Perm region. With each day russia is getting weaker and poorer, all of the Kremlins vulnerabilities exposed.
