Ukraine strikes oil targets around St Petersburg in ‘unprecedented’ drone attack
St Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov urged residents to stay indoors for the first time since the war began
Ukraine said it struck an oil depot and an oil terminal in Russia’s Leningrad region overnight, with Russian officials described a wave of drone attacks around St Petersburg as “unprecedented”.
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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian drones had reached targets around 1,000km away in the St Petersburg region, including what he described as Russian naval arsenals and a base in Kronstadt.
Writing on X, Mr Zelenskyy said on Saturday: “Last night, our drones covered a distance of about 1,000 kilometres to the St Petersburg region – to the enemy navy’s arsenals and a base in Kronstadt.
“Our long-range sanctions also reached about 500 kilometres into the Krasnodar region – and hit an oil depot.”
Ukraine’s military later said it had hit an oil depot and an oil terminal in the Leningrad region during the overnight operation.
Russian authorities said more than 140 drones were shot down over the wider Leningrad region.
Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko called it an “unprecedented attack”, while St Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov urged residents to stay indoors for the first time since the war began.
Read more: US attacks Iranian radar sites after Tehran launches drones in latest Gulf escalation
It is time to end this war. But Russia’s ruler wants to keep fighting. That is why Ukrainian sanctions against this aggression are working. 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… pic.twitter.com/IkdN8UE3QD
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 6, 2026
The attacks came as St Petersburg hosted the final day of Russia’s annual economic forum.
Kyiv said the strikes were a response to continued Russian attacks on Ukraine.
Mr Zelenskyy said Russian military infrastructure had been targeted in what he called a just answer to Moscow’s aggression.
Posting on social media on Saturday, Mr Zelenskyy said it was “time to end this war”, but accused the Kremlin of wanting to “keep fighting”.
He said Ukrainian drones had reached the St Petersburg region and targeted “the enemy navy’s arsenals and a base in Kronstadt”, the main base of Russia’s Baltic Fleet.
The escalation comes a day after Vladimir Putin said there was no point in meeting Mr Zelenskyy, despite the Ukrainian president calling for direct talks to end the war.
In an open letter to Putin sent on Thursday, Zelensky called for direct negotiations between them aimed at ending the war which began more than four years ago.
The letter, which at times struck a mocking tone, saw Zelensky writing that it was "wrong to simply wait" for the war to become the focus of US attention once more.
Responding, the Russian premier called the letter "rude" and said he did not see the point in meeting the Ukrainian leader.
"I don't see any point for now," he said when asked whether he would take up Zelensky's offer at Russia's annual economic forum in St Petersburg on Friday.
The war has been placed on the backburner by US officials as it grapples with the spluttering Iran war effort.
But drone attacks by Ukrainian forces deep into Russian territory have reiterated the need for a ceasefire and peace talks.
Donald Trump, who has been preoccupied with Iran, said he would support the two men meeting to settle the war, which has raged since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.