|
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 376
Ukrainian drones.
“Last night, our drones covered a distance of about 1,000
kilometers to the St. Petersburg region – to the enemy navy’s
arsenals and a base in Kronstadt,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy wrote of the attack on X.
Although no casualties were immediately reported, the renewed
attack on St. Petersburg is the latest embarrassing blow to
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to cast the conflict
as a distant event that doesn’t affect Russian daily life.
A Ukrainian drone strike set ablaze an oil terminal in the city
and hit a nearby naval base Wednesday, hours before the opening
of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin’s
annual showcase for investment.
Speaking at the forum, Putin said Thursday that Russia will
strengthen its air defenses to counter recent Ukrainian drone
attacks, which have reached deep inside his country and cast a
cloud over the event in his hometown of St. Petersburg.
Putin on Friday rejected a proposal by Zelenskyy for a
face-to-face meeting on the four-year-old conflict, saying he
sees “no point” in it. Thursday’s letter, the first public
message Zelenskyy has written directly to Putin since Russia
sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, was a sweeping critique of the
Russian leader’s 26 years in power, as well as some taunts about
his age.
With the front line barely moving as swarms of drones hinder
advances, both sides have sought an edge by launching long-range
strikes.
In Ukraine, one person was killed and three wounded overnight
into Saturday in the Dnipropetrovsk region, as Russian forces
struck three districts nearly 30 times with drones and
artillery, regional head Oleksandr Hanzha said.
In Zaporizhzhia, seven people sought medical care after a
Russian drone strike started a fire at a parking lot, according
to regional head Ivan Fedorov.
Russia targeted Ukraine overnight with 272 strike drones, and
air defenses shot down 249 of them, the Ukrainian air force said
Saturday.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights
reserved |
|
