ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale drone attack on Russian targets including the St. Petersburg region on Saturday, Russian and Ukrainian officials said.
The strikes targeted military and energy infrastructure in and around Russia's second-largest city, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russian authorities reported intercepting the majority of the drones, with minor damage and injuries in the area.
St. Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov said three people sustained minor injuries. Residents were advised to stay indoors, and there were reports of temporary disruptions to mobile internet service. Regional officials said air defenses downed dozens of drones over the Leningrad region.
Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainian drones struck naval arsenals and a base in Kronstadt, as well as an oil depot in Russia's southern Krasnodar region. He described the operation as part of Ukraine's efforts to target Russian military capabilities.
The attack came on the final day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an annual event promoted by Russian President Vladimir Putin. It followed a similar Ukrainian drone operation earlier in the week that hit an oil terminal and naval facilities in the area, sending plumes of smoke over the city as the forum opened.
Russian officials described the latest assault as unprecedented in scale. The Defense Ministry said it downed hundreds of Ukrainian drones across multiple regions, including more than 100 near St. Petersburg. No deaths were reported in the city from the Saturday strikes.
The incidents underscore Ukraine's increased use of long-range drones to reach deep inside Russian territory, more than 1,000 kilometers (about 620 miles) from the front lines. Kyiv has said such strikes are a response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
In recent days, Russian forces have conducted large-scale missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian targets, including Kyiv, resulting in civilian casualties. Ukrainian officials have reported dozens killed in those attacks.
Russia's Defense Ministry has vowed to respond to the Ukrainian operations. Details on the full extent of damage from Saturday's strikes remained unclear, with both sides providing limited information.
The conflict, now in its fourth year, has seen escalating cross-border strikes as both sides seek to pressure the other amid stalled front-line advances.
