Drones have hit infrastructure in several districts of St Petersburg, causing damage and injuring several people, the city’s governor has said.
Russia’s second-largest city and President Vladimir Putin’s hometown is hosting an economic conference dubbed “Russian Davos” from today.
Regional Governor Alexander Drozedenko said air defences shot down 50 drones over the Leningrad region around St Petersburg, where Putin is due to address the International Economic Forum on Friday.
“Combat operations are ongoing,” Drozdenko said on Telegram. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin separately reported that 18 drones were shot down overnight, while the Russian Defence Ministry said it had intercepted 354 Ukrainian drones over the country and Russia-occupied Crimea.
St Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport was temporarily restricting flights, Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said on Telegram. More than 30 flights were delayed or cancelled, local news outlets said. The city had put comprehensive safety measures in place ahead of the event, city Governor Alexander Beglov, told the RIA news agency.
A Ukrainian drone attack killed seven and injured another eleven in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region on Wednesday, the Kremlin-installed head of the region said.
Ukraine has recently stepped up attacks on Russian energy infrastructure as it tries to deprive Moscow of revenues. On Tuesday, it struck the Ilsky oil export refinery in southern Russia with drones.
Bloomberg, Reuters