Ukraine has launched a large-scale drone attack on Russia’s second-largest city, as Kyiv’s ability to hit deep inside Russia continues to grow.
This comes after Putin ignores Zelensky’s open letter for face-to-face talks to end war.
St Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov advised residents not to go outside and warned of possible disruptions to mobile internet service following the airstrikes on Saturday.
Regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said 141 drones were shot down over the surrounding Leningrad region.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defences shot down 376 Ukrainian drones.
Although no casualties were immediately reported, the renewed attack on St Petersburg strikes a further blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to cast the conflict as a distant event that does not affect Russian daily life.
Saturday’s attack follows a Ukrainian drone strike that set ablaze an oil terminal in the city and hit a nearby naval base on Wednesday, hours before the opening of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin’s annual showcase for investment.
