Russia calls St. Petersburg drone attacks 'unprecedented'

Russian authorities have described drone attacks on St. Petersburg and its surrounding region as an "unprecedented attack." The incident occurred on the final day of Russia's annual economic forum, held in the city, which is President Vladimir Putin's birthplace. Over 140 drones were reportedly shot down over the Leningrad region, according to Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko. City Governor Alexander Beglov urged residents to stay home, a rare directive since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukrainian forces had targeted Russian arsenals and a naval base, framing the actions as a "justified response" to Russian attacks. He stated that the drones flew up to 1,000 km to reach the St. Petersburg region, targeting "enemy navy arsenals and the base in Kronstadt," the main base of Russia's Baltic Fleet. Zelenskyy also mentioned that Ukrainian "long-range measures" had hit an oil depot 500 km away in the southern Krasnodar region.

One Ukrainian drone unit commander, Yevhen Karas, boasted to the BBC about the ease of hitting targets within Russia, stating, "We fly around Russia as if it were our own territory. Almost without resistance: it is not difficult to reach the target." These latest strikes follow earlier Ukrainian attacks on the outskirts of St. Petersburg during the economic forum, which attracted thousands of guests from 130 countries, including a U.S. delegation.

Earlier, Zelenskyy had sent an open letter to Putin calling for a ceasefire and direct negotiations to end the war. However, Putin, speaking at the economic forum, rejected the request for a meeting. He reiterated Russia's stance that a ceasefire would only allow Ukraine to reorganize its forces and that the war would only end when Russian objectives are met. Russia's long-term position includes Ukraine withdrawing from occupied regions and abandoning aspirations to join NATO, demands Ukraine rejects.