Ukrainian forces launched more than 140 drones that flew over the St. Petersburg area, targeting naval arsenals and a base in Kronstadt. Russian security officials reported that every one of the drones was intercepted over the surrounding Leningrad region.
In a statement by Governor Alexander Beglov, residents of St. Petersburg were urged to remain indoors for the first time since the war began, as Russia’s annual Economic Forum was held in the city.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video on social media showing the drones and calling the attack a justified response to Russian aggression. He added that the drones had covered about 1,000 km to reach the target area and also hit an oil depot in the Krasnodar region.
Earlier on Thursday, Zelensky released an open letter urging President Putin to hold direct talks to bring the war to an end, a request that Putin denied. He stated that any negotiations must precede a ceasefire and that Russia would only end the conflict when its objectives were achieved.
Meanwhile, authorities installed by Moscow in the occupied Luhansk region have suspended coach and train services to protect their infrastructure from ongoing Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian logistics. The region also banned transport of children and local commuters as part of security measures.
Analysts have reported that, since the beginning of May, Ukrainian drone operations have hit more than 200 lorries and over 30 fuel trucks within the occupied territories of eastern Ukraine.
Russia continues to claim that Ukraine must withdraw from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions and abandon its aspirations to join NATO. The ongoing conflict, now in its fourth year, has led to widespread international attention, with calls for negotiations from various global actors.
