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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Economy & Trade

Ukraine Drones Strike St. Petersburg During Economic Forum

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Ukraine launched an unprecedented drone attack on St. Petersburg and surrounding regions on Saturday, targeting the city during an international economic forum.
  • Russian air defenses claimed to have intercepted hundreds of drones, but local officials reported fires and disruptions, including temporary airport closures.
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the strikes as a

Ukraine launched an unprecedented wave of long-range drone attacks on St. Petersburg and its surrounding regions on Saturday, coinciding with the conclusion of a major international economic forum in the city. Local authorities reported that air defenses intercepted 141 drones in the Leningrad Region alone, with Governor Alexander Drosdenko describing the assault as "unprecedented."

In accordance with the recommendations of the emergency response team, I ask the residents of St. Petersburg to stay in their homes and not to go out onto the streets.

— Alexander BeglovSt. Petersburg governor warning residents to take shelter during the drone attacks.

Residents of St. Petersburg were urged to stay indoors and avoid going outside due to potential disruptions, including mobile internet interruptions. The island of Kronstadt, a key base for Russia's Baltic Fleet, was also targeted, reportedly resulting in a fire and damage to missile and ammunition arsenals, according to Ukraine's Security Service (SBU). The SBU claimed these operations weaken the Baltic Fleet.

In the coastal town of Bolshaya Ishora, south of Kronstadt, approximately 600 residents were evacuated from their homes. St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport temporarily halted flights, impacting international guests attending the economic forum. The attacks extended to numerous other Russian regions, with the Defense Ministry claiming to have intercepted a total of 376 drones across vast swathes of the country.

It is time to end this war but Russia's ruler wants to keep fighting.

— Volodymyr ZelenskyyCommenting on the ongoing conflict and Russia's stance.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy framed the strikes as a "just response" to ongoing Russian aggression. He noted that Ukraine's air force had shot down a significant number of Russian drones launched against Ukraine overnight. Zelenskyy stated that while Ukraine is ready to end the war, Russia's leadership appears intent on continuing the conflict. This marks the second major Ukrainian drone attack targeting the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in three days. Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously acknowledged that such attacks cause "some damage" to the economy but asserted they lead to "nothing good."

These attacks naturally lead to nothing good.

— Vladimir PutinAcknowledging the economic damage caused by Ukrainian attacks during the economic forum.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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