Ukraine Strikes Deep Into Russia, Targeting St. Petersburg Area in ‘Unprecedented’ Drone Attack
Ukraine launched a large-scale drone offensive against Russian energy and military infrastructure around St. Petersburg on Saturday, with one regional official describing it as an “unprecedented” attack. The operation targeted naval installations, oil depots and fuel terminals in the Leningrad region, according to the Ukrainian military.
It was the second time in less than a week that swarms of Ukrainian drones reached the outskirts of Russia’s second-largest city. On Wednesday, Russian air defenses reported shooting down around 60 drones over the region just hours before the start of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), often described as President Vladimir Putin’s answer to Davos.
“A total of 141 UAVs have been shot down over the Leningrad Region,” said Aleksandr Drozdenko, the regional governor. He called the raid “unprecedented.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that his forces had flown drones roughly 1,000 kilometers to reach the St. Petersburg area, striking “the enemy navy’s arsenals and a base in Kronstadt.” Kronstadt is home to a major Baltic Fleet repair and supply hub, as well as a naval academy. On Wednesday, a Russian warship docked there was hit by a Ukrainian drone, according to local reports.
The town of Kronstadt was closed to traffic for several hours Saturday, the official TASS news agency reported. St. Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov said on Telegram that three civilians were injured in the attack, calling it “a large-scale attack by military drones.”
Drozdenko said emergency crews were still battling a fire in the village of Bolshaya Izhora, where more than 600 people had been evacuated. CNN geolocated video showing thick plumes of smoke rising from a location in the area that houses a Russian naval arsenal.
Zelensky also noted that Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions” reached about 500 kilometers into the Krasnodar region, hitting an oil depot. Video footage posted by Ukrainian officials showed large fires in both Krasnodar and Kronstadt. Ukraine’s security service (SBU) claimed “at least three tanks containing petroleum products are engulfed in flames,” describing the depot as “a vital rear-area hub for the storage and supply of fuel to Russian troops in the southern and eastern sectors.”
The strikes came two days after Zelensky sent an open letter to Putin, urging an end to the four-year war, just as the Russian leader prepared to address the SPIEF forum. Putin dismissed the letter as “rude” and expressed skepticism about Zelensky’s sincerity. A Kremlin spokesperson suggested that the Ukrainian president could “come to Moscow” if he wanted to talk.
The timing of the letter—during an event where Russian business elites mingle with political leaders—appeared deliberate. With Russia’s economy under strain from sanctions and rising military spending, Zelensky appears to be betting that internal discontent among wealthy industrialists and officials could pressure the Kremlin.
Ukraine currently holds the advantage in some sections of the front line, and its long-range drone campaign has steadily deepened. In recent months, Kyiv has intensified strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, launching hundreds of drones to disrupt fuel supplies and pile economic pain on ordinary Russians.
Both sides routinely send hundreds of drones against each other’s territory overnight. The Ukrainian air force said Russia launched 272 drones overnight Friday into Saturday, of which 249 were intercepted, with impacts reported at 11 locations.
In southern Russia, emergency services acknowledged a fire at the Krasnodar oil depot, saying dozens of residents were evacuated and more than 50 firefighting vehicles were deployed. Separately, nearly 2,300 kilometers away in the Urals, regional authorities reported a fire at the Tyumen oil refinery, though they insisted it was caused by a “technical malfunction” and not a drone attack.
Kyiv’s strategy of hitting deep inside Russian territory is aimed not only at cutting military fuel supplies but also at undermining public confidence in the Kremlin’s ability to protect the homeland. Analysts say that as the war grinds into its fourth year, such operations are likely to increase in frequency and range.