Ukraine Launches Over 140 Drones at St Petersburg Amid Economic Forum
Russian authorities reported an 'unprecedented attack' involving over 140 Ukrainian drones on St Petersburg and the Leningrad region. Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko stated the drones were shot down, while St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov urged residents to remain indoors, a directive not issued since the beginning of the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted his forces hit Russian arsenals and a naval base in what he termed a 'just response' to Russian offensives. Zelensky claimed Ukrainian drones traversed 1,000km to reach the St Petersburg region, targeting 'the enemy navy's arsenals and a base in Kronstadt'. An oil depot in Russia's Krasnodar region, 500km distant, was also reportedly struck.
This drone operation followed Zelensky's recent call for direct negotiations with Vladimir Putin to end the war. Putin, addressing the economic forum, dismissed the prospect of meeting Zelensky, reiterating that peace talks must precede any ceasefire and that the conflict would only conclude once Russia's objectives, including Ukraine's withdrawal from specific regions and abandonment of NATO aspirations, were met.
In the Russian-occupied Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, Moscow-installed authorities have suspended coach and commuter train services on two motorways, citing security concerns following a campaign of Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian logistics. Reports indicate over 200 lorries and 30 fuel trucks have been hit since May.
