St Petersburg was hit by a barrage of Ukrainian drones on Saturday, the final day of the international economic summit being held in the city.
Governor Alexander Beglov and the civil defence authorities informed the public of a “large-scale attack by military drones'” and said air defence systems were active, as the high-profile St Petersburg International Economic Forum wrapped up.
Kiev’s latest salvo comes after an attack on the first day of forum, which sent black plumes of smoke rising above the city’s historic centre following a strike on an oil refinery.
“In accordance with the recommendations of the emergency response team, I ask the residents of St Petersburg to stay in their homes and not to go out onto the streets,” the governor wrote on Telegram. “There may be interruptions to mobile internet.”
The civil defence authorities also issued a drone alert via text message. Pulkovo Airport, used by many of the forum’s international guests, temporarily halted air travel in the morning due to the threat of drones.
In the Leningrad Region surrounding St Petersburg, Governor Alexander Drosdenko also reported a drone alert and said air defence forces shot down 141 drones.
He also reported the evacuation of residential buildings near a military facility where a fire broke out after a drone attack. He called this a temporary safety measure.
St Petersburg media reported that 600 people had to leave their homes in the town of Bolshaya Ishora on the Gulf of Finland. One person was brought to hospital with injuries.
A fire broke out at the Baltic port of Kronstadt, used by the Russian Navy, which was also attacked, according to reports.
The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said arsenals for missiles and ammunition, and naval bases were hit there. “Such special operations weaken the Baltic Fleet.”
The attacks hampered the logistics of the Russian armed forces and reduced the enemy’s combat readiness, the SBU said.
In the Krasnodar region, an oil depot in the town of Ust-Labinsk – around 500 kilometres from Ukraine – was also hit, the SBU said, adding it was a fuel depot of importance to the Russian armed forces.
There were further reports of drone strikes from other parts of Russia, including the area around the capital, Moscow. The Russian-occupied port of Mariupol in the Donetsk region, annexed by Moscow, was also reportedly hit.
Media reports said oil depots caught fire following explosions. On social media, videos were shared showing large fires and clouds of smoke, which could not initially be verified by independent sources.
The Ukrainian drone attacks on the Russian oil industry and military targets were a recurring topic on the final day of the economic forum.
Ukraine is using these counter-attacks to defend itself against the full-scale invasion launched by Moscow early in 2022.
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged at the forum on Friday evening that the attacks were causing “some damage” to the economy. “These attacks naturally lead to nothing good,” he said.
Strengthening air defences was important, he said, but there were no risks to Russia’s economy, he added.
Putin recently rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s offer of a meeting for peace negotiations.
For his part, Zelensky praised the joint operation and the precision of the armed forces and intelligence services.
“Russia must end its war and stop its attacks on life,” he demanded on Telegram. “But the Russian leader wants to keep fighting,” he stated, also posting a video showing plumes of smoke and a drone.
Ukraine is continuing its strikes with long-range drones, which travelled some 1,000 kilometres as far as St Petersburg, he said.
Ukraine has significantly expanded its drone capabilities, hoping such counter-attacks will effectively force Russia to the negotiating table.
But Putin continues to insist Russia will achieve its war aims despite the substantial Western military aid to Ukraine and the sanctions.
ANEWS wp:paragraph
هلدینگ کاسپین استانبول | خرید ملک در ترکیه | صرافی معتبر ایرانی در ترکیه | خرید و فروش طلا در ترکیه | مهاجرت به ترکیه | واردات و صادرات در ترکیه | نیازمندیهای ترکیه | اخبار ترکیه | اخبار جهانی | توریست ایران | خدمات توریستی در ایران | تورهای گردشگری ایران | هلدینگ اول | خدمات کاریابی و فریلنسری و شغل | مرجع اطلاعات ایران (همه چیز در ایران) | کیف پول و خدمات مالی و پرداخت یار | اخبار ایران | تابلو زنده قیمت ارز در ترکیه و استانبول | صرافی آنلاین ترکیه | قیمت طلا و نقره در ترکیه | سرمایه گذاری در ترکیه | جواهرات در ترکیه | نرخ لحظه ای ارزها در استانبول | قیمت دلار امروز در ترکیه | قیمت دلار استانبول امروز | قیمت لحظه ای دلار | اخبار روز ترکیه استانبول | اپلیکیشن ISTEX | اپلیکیشن قیمت لحظه ای دلار و یورو و لیر و ارزها در ترکیه
About the Author
