Ukraine strikes St. Petersburg after Putin rejects direct talks with Zelenskyy
Large-scale drone attack on Russia's second-largest city underscores Kyiv's growing capability to strike deep inside Russia.
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Residents of St. Petersburg were ordered to stay indoors Saturday morning after a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack targeted Russia's second-largest city, highlighting Kyiv's expanding ability to strike deep within Russian territory.
The assault came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin refused an offer to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy face-to-face. St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said three people sustained minor injuries. He advised residents to avoid going outside and warned of possible disruptions to mobile internet service. The surrounding Leningrad region's governor said 141 drones were shot down in what he described as an "unprecedented attack." Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses shot down 376 Ukrainian drones.
"Last night, our drones covered a distance of about 1,000 kilometres to the St. Petersburg region — to the enemy navy's arsenals and a base in Kronstadt," Zelenskyy wrote on X, adding that drones also hit an oil depot in Russia's southern Krasnodar region.
The renewed attack embarrasses Putin's narrative that the conflict is a distant event not affecting Russian daily life. A Ukrainian drone strike previously set ablaze an oil terminal in the city and hit a naval base Wednesday, just before the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum—Putin's annual investment showcase.
Speaking at the forum Thursday, Putin said Russia will strengthen its air defences against Ukrainian drone attacks. The following day, he rejected Zelenskyy's proposal for a meeting, saying he saw "no point" in it. Zelenskyy's letter was the first public message he has written directly to Putin since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in 2022. It critiqued the Russian leader's 26 years in power and included taunts about his age.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha responded to Putin's dismissal by warning that matters would "only get worse for Russia." He wrote on X that "failures will get more humiliating" and that there are "no safe places in Russia that can be exempt" from Ukrainian long-range attacks.