Ukraine launched hundreds of drones into Russia early Saturday, killing one person and igniting an oil depot on the last day of a major economic forum in St Petersburg, according to officials. Several drones struck near St Petersburg, marking the second such assault on the city in under a week. Ukraine’s security service reported hitting a naval facility. The operation followed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal of a proposed meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which drew sharp criticism from Kyiv. Over 140 drones were downed above the Leningrad region surrounding St Petersburg, the local governor stated. The city’s mayor urged residents to remain inside during the assault. Russian authorities reported intercepting 376 drones across multiple regions including Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, and others, plus areas over the Azov and Black Seas. Ukraine said it struck the Kronstadt naval base near St Petersburg and an ammunition depot in the Leningrad region. A fire broke out at an oil facility in Ust-Labinsk, and debris killed a man in the Tver region. Zelenskyy called the operation a justified reply to Russian attacks and urged an end to the fighting. Russia responded with its own strikes, killing a man in the Mykolaiv region and wounding a child and his father in Zaporizhzhia. Additional attacks in the Dnipropetrovsk region killed one and injured three. Two civilian rescue boats were also hit in Ukrainian waters. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet Zelenskyy along with the French and German leaders in London on Sunday to discuss further support for Ukraine.
