Ukraine Launches Large Drone Attack on St Petersburg Region During Russian Economic Forum

Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack targeting areas around St Petersburg during Russia’s economic forum, with Russian authorities saying over 140 drones were intercepted and some military facilities damaged. Ukraine said it struck Russian arsenals, naval bases, and energy infrastructure in response to ongoing Russian attacks, while both sides escalated their war narratives amid stalled peace talks and continued demands over territorial control.

Russian authorities have accused Ukraine of carrying out an unprecedented drone assault on and around St Petersburg, as the city hosted the final day of Russia's annual economic forum.
Officials said more than 140 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over the surrounding Leningrad region. Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko reported that the attack caused a fire at a military facility and led to the evacuation of nearby residents, although he said the damage to buildings was minor. St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov also urged residents to stay indoors, marking the first such warning issued in the city since the conflict began more than four years ago.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian forces had targeted Russian military infrastructure, including weapons arsenals and a naval base, describing the operation as a justified response to continued Russian attacks on Ukraine.
According to Zelensky, Ukrainian drones travelled approximately 1,000 kilometres to strike military targets in the St Petersburg region, including naval facilities and arsenals in Kronstadt, home to the main base of Russia's Baltic Fleet. He also said an oil depot in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, about 500 kilometres away, was hit during what Ukraine refers to as its campaign of "long-range sanctions" against Russian military and energy infrastructure.
A commander from one of the Ukrainian drone units involved in the operation told the BBC that reaching targets inside Russia had become increasingly easy. Yevhen Karas, commander of Ukraine's 413th Regiment Raid of the Unmanned Systems Forces, claimed Ukrainian drones were able to operate deep inside Russian territory with little resistance.
The latest strikes came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected calls by Zelensky for direct negotiations aimed at ending the war. Speaking at Russia's flagship economic forum, Putin said there was no point in meeting the Ukrainian president and maintained that any ceasefire would only allow Ukraine time to regroup and strengthen its military position.
In an open letter released before the forum, Zelensky had urged Putin to agree to a ceasefire and face-to-face talks, arguing that it was important not to wait for international attention to return fully to the conflict. He also stated that the time had come to end the war, while accusing the Russian leader of seeking to prolong the fighting.
The economic forum in St Petersburg, designed to attract foreign investment into Russia, attracted thousands of participants from more than 130 countries, including a small United States delegation, the first to attend in several years.
Putin reiterated that Russia would only end the conflict once its objectives had been achieved. Moscow continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, much of which are under Russian control, and abandon its ambitions of joining NATO. Ukraine has consistently rejected those demands, insisting that giving up territory would encourage future Russian aggression.
Meanwhile, authorities installed by Moscow in the occupied Luhansk region announced new transport restrictions following a series of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Russian supply routes. Coach services on two major highways have been suspended, while commuter train operations and the transportation of groups of children have also been halted for security reasons.
Russian-backed officials said the measures were necessary because of continued Ukrainian strikes against logistics infrastructure. President Putin has repeatedly claimed that Russia has full control over the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic.
Ukraine has increasingly focused on targeting military supply chains and logistics networks in Russian-occupied territories. According to analysts, Ukrainian drone operations have damaged more than 200 trucks and over 30 fuel tankers since the beginning of May.
Over the course of the war, Ukraine has significantly expanded its domestic defence industry and drone capabilities, enabling it to carry out long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory. Kyiv has concentrated many of these attacks on oil depots, fuel facilities and energy infrastructure, arguing that they play a key role in supporting Russia's military operations.
Russia, however, has repeatedly accused Ukraine of targeting civilian areas during its drone campaigns, an allegation Kyiv denies.