ISW: Record-breaking Ukrainian Armed Forces Attack Exposed Russia's Vulnerabilities

It was the biggest blow since 2022.

Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale strike against Russian digital, energy, and logistics infrastructure in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region—the largest attack since 2022. At the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), are analyzing the consequences and explaining what vulnerabilities in Russia’s defenses the attack exposed.

As noted by the ISW, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck a data center belonging to the Russian social network “VKontakte” (VK) near St. Petersburg and severely damaged the facility. VK’s press office confirmed the strikes but stated that the company’s services continue to operate. Russian media, however, report that following the Ukrainian attacks, users complained of significant disruptions to the platform’s operation.

There are also reports of a strike on the “Vostochnaya” substation (330 kV): about 20,000 people were left without power.

In addition, the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal and an Ozon marketplace warehouse in St. Petersburg, which led to a major fire. Another strike hit the cable-stayed bridge connecting the northern and southern parts of the city.

The ISW emphasizes that the strikes on the Leningrad Region were notable for both their scale and the wide range of targets hit. The campaign of strikes against Russian digital infrastructure and data centers is causing widespread service disruptions and power outages across Russia’s digital ecosystem.

“This once again highlights the persistent vulnerabilities of Russia’s air defense system, as well as problems in the area of troop command and control,” analysts note.

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