St. Petersburg came under a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on Saturday, 6 June, with St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov confirming the assault via his official channel and urging residents to stay indoors as air defence systems engaged the incoming unmanned aerial vehicles. The attack is the second major drone strike on the city and the surrounding Leningrad region since the opening of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) this week.

Scale of the Attack

According to the governor of the Leningrad region, 86 UAVs had been intercepted and shot down by Saturday morning. Residents across both St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region reported hearing powerful sonic impacts consistent with explosions from the early hours of the morning.

Governor Beglov stated: 'On the morning of June 6, St. Petersburg came under a large-scale attack by military unmanned aerial vehicles. Air defence systems are operating. In accordance with the recommendations of the Operational Command, I ask St. Petersburg residents to remain in their homes and not to go outside.'

No casualties or damage to critical infrastructure have been reported as of the time of writing.

Attack Coincides with SPIEF Closing Day

The timing is notable: the assault struck on the final day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, one of Russia's most prominent annual economic summits. This marks the second drone attack on the city during the forum's run, raising questions about the symbolic and strategic intent behind the targeting.

Putin Rules Out Zelensky Meeting at SPIEF

The drone strike came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking before the plenary session of the same forum, declared he 'still sees no reason' to hold a face-to-face meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky had issued an open letter proposing direct talks, suggesting Switzerland, Turkey, and countries of the Arab World as potential venues.

Putin said he had reviewed the letter briefly after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov passed it to him, but characterised its tone critically. 'The letter effectively contains elements of rudeness. Is it a way to create conditions for a meeting and negotiations, or to create a context in which any meeting becomes impossible? I believe it is the second option,' Putin said, according to reports.

Putin added that a meeting would be 'useless' until a peace agreement is reached, and that talks should be left to specialists first. 'Military actions will end sooner or later, we are convinced of that. Without a doubt, they will end once the objectives we have set for ourselves are achieved,' he said.

Zelensky's Proposal

In his open letter, Zelensky had written: 'Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us — and you. I am proposing a meeting.' He also cautioned that 'it would be wrong to simply wait until the war in Europe returns to the centre of its attention,' urging immediate direct dialogue.

What Comes Next

With Putin publicly dismissing the prospect of a near-term summit and drone strikes continuing to target Russian cities, the path to any ceasefire or negotiated settlement appears distant. The international community will be watching whether the SPIEF statements harden into an official Russian position ahead of any future diplomatic overtures.