Residents of St. Petersburg received warnings to stay indoors following a significant drone attack by Ukraine targeting Russia’s second-largest city on Saturday morning. This attack underscores Ukraine’s escalating ability to penetrate deep inside Russian territory. The assault occurred a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin declined an invitation to meet with Ukraine’s leader.
St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov reported that three residents sustained minor injuries. He advised citizens to remain indoors and cautioned about potential disruptions to mobile internet services. Meanwhile, Regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko mentioned that 141 drones were intercepted in the Leningrad region, referring to it as an “unprecedented attack.” Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that its air defenses successfully shot down 376 Ukrainian drones.
“Last night, our drones covered a distance of about 1,000 kilometers to the St. Petersburg region—to the enemy navy’s arsenals and a base in Kronstadt,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on X. He also noted that drones targeted an oil depot in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region.
The recent attack marked another setback for President Putin, who aims to frame the conflict as a distant issue, unaffected by Russian daily life. A Ukrainian drone previously set fire to an oil terminal and nearby naval base on the eve of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an annual event highlighting investment opportunities.
During the forum, President Putin emphasized enhancing Russia’s air defense systems in response to ongoing Ukrainian drone attacks. These attacks have intensified, affecting areas deep within Russia and overshadowing the forum in his hometown.
On Friday, Putin rebuffed President Zelenskyy’s proposal for direct discussions regarding their protracted conflict, stating there is “no point” in such a meeting. This statement came after Zelenskyy’s public criticism of Putin, marking his first direct message since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Reacting to Putin’s rejection, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha implied that conditions would “only get worse for Russia,” posting on X that “failures will get more humiliating.” He warned that no place in Russia is safe from Ukraine’s long-range strikes, suggesting attacks will intensify.
As both nations struggle for advantage, they have focused on executing long-range assaults amidst a stagnant front line. In Ukraine, overnight attacks in the Dnipropetrovsk region resulted in one death and three injuries, with Russian forces targeting several districts with drones and artillery, according to regional head Oleksandr Hanzha.
In Zaporizhzhia, a Russian drone strike ignited a fire in a parking lot, leading seven individuals to seek medical attention, as reported by regional head Ivan Fedorov. According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia targeted Ukraine overnight with 272 strike drones, with air defenses successfully intercepting 249 of them.