St Petersburg region hit by major Ukrainian drone attack, Russian officials say

Authorities in Russia's second city ​of St ​Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad ​region said on Saturday the area suffered a major Ukrainian drone attack overnight, with a Baltic Sea ‌port ⁠that handles ⁠oil exports reported hit.

St Petersburg Governor Alexander ​Beglov said the city of 6 million had come ​under a "large-scale" drone attack. He gave no details of specific targets, but local media ​outlet Bumaga reported a ⁠fire at ‌the city's oil terminal.

Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said drones had ⁠struck the port of Vysotsk, about 170 km (105 miles) northwest of St Petersburg on the Gulf of Finland. The port handles oil, grain, coal and liquefied natural gas.


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Drozdenko said 72 drones were shot down over the Leningrad region.

Ukraine ‌has intensified strikes on Russian energy infrastructure this year, causing fuel shortages in parts ⁠of Russia.

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St Petersburg, about 900 km (560 miles) from Ukrainian-held territory, has occasionally come under attack from ​Kyiv's drones. Targets have included the city's oil terminal and a moored warship during the St Petersburg International Economic Forum in June.