Ukrainian drones strike St. Petersburg after Putin rejects direct talks offer

Ukrainian drones struck Russia's second-largest city Saturday morning, prompting local officials to advise residents to remain indoors and warning of possible mobile internet disruptions. Russian air defenses reported shooting down 376 Ukrainian drones, while regional officials said 141 were intercepted over the surrounding Leningrad region. No casualties were reported in St. Petersburg.

Background to the strikes The attack came one day after President Vladimir Putin rejected a proposal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for direct talks on the four-year-old conflict, stating he saw "no point" in such a meeting. Zelenskyy's Thursday letter marked the first public message he has sent directly to Putin since 2022.

Putin spoke at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday, announcing plans to strengthen air defenses following recent Ukrainian drone strikes that reached deep inside Russia.

Strikes reported on both sides In Ukraine, regional officials reported one person killed and three wounded overnight in the Dnipropetrovsk region after Russian forces struck three districts nearly 30 times with drones and artillery. In Zaporizhzhia, five people sought medical care after a Russian drone strike started a fire at a parking lot.

Ukrainian air force officials said Russia launched 272 strike drones overnight, with air defenses shooting down 249 of them.