Watch: Ukrainian drones strike the St. Petersburg area again
Ukraine said on Saturday that its long-range drones struck targets deep inside Russia overnight, including a military facility near St. Petersburg and an oil depot in the southern Krasnodar region, as the war continued to escalate with both sides announcing new battlefield gains and air attacks.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strikes targeted “the enemy’s naval arsenals and a base in Kronstadt” in the St. Petersburg region in northwestern Russia, while another attack hit an oil depot in Krasnodar, according to Reuters.In a post on X, Zelensky said the Ukrainian drones traveled about 1,000 kilometers to reach the St. Petersburg region and about 500 kilometers to hit the Krasnodar target.“It is time to end this war. But Russia’s ruler wants to keep fighting,” Zelensky wrote, adding that “Russia must end its war and stop its attacks on life.”
Any manifestation of injustice against Ukraine will receive a fair response.”
St. Petersburg residents were asked to stay at home
The attack prompted authorities in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, to advise residents not to leave their homes, highlighting Ukraine’s growing ability to launch strikes deep into Russian territory.St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov warned residents of a “large-scale” drone attack and the possibility of disruption of mobile Internet services.
According to the AP news agency, regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said 141 drones were shot down over the surrounding Leningrad region, while the Russian Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted 376 Ukrainian drones nationwide.No injuries were reported immediately.The latest strike follows a Ukrainian drone attack earlier this week that set an oil terminal on fire and hit a naval base near St. Petersburg.
Russia demands control of a village in Kharkiv
In a separate incident, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that its forces took control of the Shevchenko settlement in the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine.The official Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported that the village was captured after what the ministry described as “decisive measures” taken by units of the Russian Northern Military Group.
New attacks have been reported from both sides
The latest developments come as both Russia and Ukraine continue long-range drone campaigns while fighting along largely fixed front lines.According to the Associated Press, one person was killed and three others were injured in the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine after Russian drone and artillery air strikes overnight.In the Zaporizhzhya region, five people sought medical treatment after a Russian drone attack sparked a fire in a parking area.The Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia launched 272 drones overnight, of which 249 were intercepted.The renewed exchanges also come a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected Ukrainian President Zelensky’s proposal for a face-to-face meeting, saying he saw “no point” in such talks.