Residents in St. Petersburg were advised to remain indoors after a significant Ukrainian drone attack on Saturday morning. This attack highlighted Ukraine’s growing reach into Russian territory. The incident occurred following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to meet with Ukraine’s president.
St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov reported three minor injuries resulting from the attack. He urged residents to stay inside and mentioned disruptions to mobile internet services. In response, regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko noted that 141 drones were intercepted over the Leningrad region, describing the incident as an “unprecedented attack.” Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses downed 376 Ukrainian drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, “Last night, our drones covered a distance of about 1,000 kilometers to the St. Petersburg region.” He added that targets included the enemy navy’s arsenals and a base in Kronstadt, along with an oil depot in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region.
This latest attack reflects a challenge to Putin’s portrayal of the conflict as remote and unrelated to Russian daily life. Earlier, a Ukrainian drone set an oil terminal ablaze and hit a naval base in the city, coinciding with the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
During the forum, Putin announced plans to enhance air defenses against Ukrainian drone incursions that threaten Russian territories, adding tension to his showcase event in St. Petersburg.
Putin rejected a proposal from Zelenskyy for a direct meeting concerning the ongoing conflict. He saw no value in such talks. The Ukrainian president’s message criticized Putin’s long tenure and included remarks about Putin’s age. Following this refusal, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha warned Russia of worsening conditions.
“Failures will become more humiliating,” Sybiha wrote, indicating no area in Russia is safe from Ukrainian long-range attacks. He emphasized that attack frequency will increase.
Both sides are deploying long-range strikes as the front line remains static. In Ukraine, Russian forces launched almost 30 attacks in the Dnipropetrovsk region, resulting in one death and three injuries.
In Zaporizhzhia, a Russian drone strike caused a fire, prompting seven individuals to seek medical care. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 249 out of 272 incoming drones from Russia overnight on Saturday.
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