Ukraine Strikes Russian Navy in Kronstadt During Final Days of St. Petersburg Forum

Ukraine carried out a broad wave of drone attacks targeting multiple locations, including the vicinity of St. Petersburg, coinciding with the ongoing International Economic Forum. Moscow announced that its air defenses intercepted hundreds of drones during the previous night.

On Saturday, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that air defenses had shot down 376 Ukrainian drones across various regions. Meanwhile, Moscow’s mayor, Sergey Sobyanin, confirmed the downing of eight drones heading toward the capital.

In the Leningrad region surrounding St. Petersburg, Governor Alexander Drozdenko reported the interception of 86 Ukrainian drones, noting that combat operations continued in the airspace.

Alexander Beglov, the governor of St. Petersburg, confirmed the city endured a large-scale drone assault and urged residents to remain indoors. The attack also led to a temporary suspension of air traffic at Pulkovo International Airport.

Simultaneously, a major fire erupted at a fuel depot in the city of Ust-Labinsk in Russia’s Krasnodar region following a drone strike, local authorities reported.

This escalation coincided with the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, during which Ukrainian drones targeted an oil facility and an adjacent military site at the event’s opening, causing smoke to rise over the city as delegations arrived.

In the border region of Belgorod, Russian authorities reported the death of a driver after his vehicle was struck by a Ukrainian drone near the Ukraine-Russia border.

Attack on Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Engineers

Regarding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the Russian company Rosatom announced that several of its engineers were injured in a Ukrainian drone attack targeting a mine-clearing team near the facility, which is under Russian control.

Rosatom’s head, Alexey Likhachev, described the attack as deliberate and confirmed that at least three engineers were wounded, two of whom were in serious condition. Another company statement mentioned five injured individuals.

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed a serious incident near the Zaporizhzhia plant, resulting in injuries to Russian military personnel. The agency called for maximum military restraint and full adherence to the ceasefire arrangements around the nuclear facility.

Russian Strikes in Ukraine

On the other hand, Ukrainian authorities reported at least five fatalities due to Russian attacks in the southern Kherson region.

Oleksandr Prokudin, the regional governor, stated that three elderly victims were killed inside their homes during shelling of residential neighborhoods in Kherson city. Another attack on a fuel station resulted in one death and seven injuries.

A man was also killed in a drone strike on a village north of Kherson. Additionally, Ukrainian officials reported two deaths in a Russian strike targeting a vital industrial site in the Zaporizhzhia region.

In Kryvyi Rih, the local military administration said ongoing Russian drone and artillery attacks caused one fatality and wounded three others.

Political Reactions to Conflict Developments

Politically, Moscow welcomed Washington’s announcement of its readiness to continue playing a role in resolving the Ukrainian conflict. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed Russia’s appreciation for the United States’ goodwill efforts to end the crisis but criticized linking the development of bilateral relations to the Ukrainian settlement as a mistaken approach.

Peskov added that Russia is prepared to resume relations with the United States when the American side is genuinely ready, emphasizing that Russia is in no hurry and that any progress requires mutual readiness from both parties.