The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine escalated Thursday morning as Ukrainian forces directed a long-range drone assault on St. Petersburg and its surrounding districts. The strikes occurred hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin used his address at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to explicitly reject a proposal for direct peace talks with Kyiv.
The operation disrupted the final day of the investment forum, according to the Financial Post, which noted the timing followed Putin’s refusal of negotiations. Leningrad region Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko described the incoming barrage as an “unprecedented attack.”
Local authorities reported that air defenses intercepted the incoming munitions across the region. Following the downing of more than 140 drones, St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov issued a strict stay-at-home advisory, as detailed by Daily News. This marks the first time such a directive was given in the city since the start of the conflict.
Debris from the interceptions started a fire at a defense ministry facility in the Lomonosovsky district. Emergency services initiated a partial evacuation of nearby residential areas while firefighters worked to contain the blaze.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the military operation later in the day. He stated the drones traveled up to 1,000 kilometers to strike Russian naval arsenals, specifically targeting the Kronstadt base on Kotlin Island, an operational outpost for the Russian Navy’s Baltic Fleet.