The Ukrainian military deployed hundreds of drones to attack Saint Petersburg and nearby areas, causing the governor to order residents to take shelter indoors for the first time since the war began four years ago.
On 6 Jun 2026 GMT+7, Russian authorities revealed that Ukraine had launched an "unprecedented attack" on Saint Petersburg and its surrounding region, coinciding with the city hosting the final day of Russia's annual economic conference.
Alexander Drozdenko, governor of Leningrad Oblast, where Saint Petersburg is located, stated that over 140 incoming drones were shot down. Meanwhile, Alexander Beglov, governor of Saint Petersburg, called on residents to shelter indoors for the first time since the war started four years ago.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the military's drones traveled more than 1,000 kilometers to the Saint Petersburg region, targeting "the enemy navy's arsenal and the base in Kronstadt," which houses the main forward forces of Russia's Baltic Fleet.
Zelensky also mentioned that an oil depot about 500 kilometers away in Krasnodar Oblast to the south was targeted as part of Ukraine's "long-range punitive measures," describing the strikes as a justified response to Russian attacks.
This occurred just one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin stated at the economic conference that there was no point in meeting with Zelensky, following the Ukrainian leader's call for direct talks between the two countries' leaders to end the war.
A commander from a Ukrainian drone unit involved in the attack told the BBC that striking targets inside Russia was very easy.
"The drones fly into Russia as if it were our own territory, with almost no resistance, and reach their targets without difficulty," said Yevhen Karas, commander of the 413th Assault Battalion of Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces.
Governor Drozdenko reported that the Ukrainian attack caused a fire at a military facility, though he did not specify the type, and that residents in the area have been evacuated. He added that buildings sustained only "minor" damage.
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Source:bbc