Ukraine launches fresh drone attack on St Petersburg after Putin rejects Zelenskyy talks offer

Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on St Petersburg and surrounding regions on Saturday, days after a similar strike disrupted Russia's flagship economic forum and a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's proposal for direct talks.

Authorities in Russia's second-largest city advised residents to remain indoors as air defence systems responded to the attack.

St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov urged residents not to leave their homes and warned of possible disruptions to mobile internet services.

Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said 141 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over the region, while Russia's Defence Ministry claimed air defence systems had shot down a total of 376 drones across the country.

No casualties were immediately reported.

The attack marked the second major Ukrainian strike on St Petersburg within days. On 3 June, Ukrainian drones hit an oil terminal and targeted facilities linked to the Kronstadt naval base near the city, hours before the opening of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

The repeated strikes represent a significant challenge to the Kremlin's efforts to portray the conflict as distant from daily life in Russia's major cities.

Speaking at the economic forum on Thursday, Putin said Russia would strengthen its air defence network to counter increasingly frequent long-range Ukrainian drone attacks.

War of drones intensifies

As fighting along the front lines remains largely static, both Russia and Ukraine have increasingly relied on long-range drone strikes to target infrastructure, military facilities and logistics networks deep behind enemy lines.

Ukraine said Russia launched 272 attack drones overnight, of which 249 were intercepted by Ukrainian air defences.

In Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, one person was killed and three others injured in Russian drone and artillery attacks, according to regional authorities.

In the southern Zaporizhzhia region, five people sought medical treatment after a Russian drone strike sparked a fire in a parking area.

Putin rejects direct talks

The latest escalation came a day after Putin dismissed Zelenskyy's proposal for a face-to-face meeting aimed at discussing an end to the war.

According to Russian media reports, Putin said he saw "no point" in direct talks with the Ukrainian leader.

Zelenskyy's proposal was contained in a public letter sent on Thursday, the first direct public message he has addressed to Putin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The letter reportedly criticised Putin's long tenure in power and challenged him to engage in direct negotiations over the conflict.

The exchange underscores the continued diplomatic deadlock as both sides intensify military operations more than four years into the war.